Hope
by Meneil
Summary: AU. The humans of Weyard are in danger of becoming enslaved by terrible monsters. When all hope is lost, Jenna finds a reason to live through a certain someone. complete!
1. The Fate of Weyard

Quick A/N: Story is AU. A few minor things like age difference and species change for some characters, so if you can't live with a few changes, tough. And if you can't tell by the angst category, this isn't exactly a happy-go-lucky fairy tale.

Hope

Chapter 1: The Fate of Weyard

There were only a million of us humans left alive. Most were children or the elderly; those too weak to pick up a sword and fight. I was one of the few left alive in the prime of my life. But please, allow me to start at the beginning of my story.

About three years ago, when I was thirteen, "special" people in Weyard were discovered. These special people, called Adepts, were very different than the average human. The Adepts had the power to bend an element to their will; those elements being: earth, water, wind, and fire. The Adepts had been hiding themselves from the rest of the world, deciding that they did not want to be considered pagans or demons. But alas be the fact that one day someone did discover the Adepts and their secret life. I do not know who made the initial discovery; most likely he has died in the war. We Adepts… we ruined everything.

Almost immediately after Adepts were found in Weyard, the entire universe suddenly had its eye on us. Neighboring planets to our world once considered humans too weak to become a serious threat or slave. But with the new rise of Adepts, the other planets began to fear Weyard. Others wanted to capture Adepts and force them into doing labor.

Let me assure you, we tried to ease our neighbors' fear. This did some good, but still three planets wanted to enslave Weyard. No matter how strong our Adepts were, our planet was no match against these terrible demons. We were outnumbered and overpowered. When we had lost all hope, the Universe Council proposed a solution.

All planets that had a disagreement or quarrel with another planet would choose a champion among their own kind. The champion of his own planet would wage an all or nothing battle. If the champion won, the opposing planet would be forced to meet the other's demands. If the champion lost, then his life and planet would be forfeit to the other's will. For you see, such disputes were not uncommon in the universe.

Of course Weyard agreed to this proposition. What choice did we have? As things stood, we were sure to be annihilated. At least in this way we had some hope. We chose our best warrior and made him our champion. He was to fight against three other warriors, each one fearsome foes and none of which were human. Our champion won against the Xerian Ogre's and Krag's champions. All that remained was the Slate champion.

If Slates are not demons, I don't know what are. They are terrible creatures that can transform into two forms. Their original form resembles a dragon, with some exceptions. Slates have the same claws, wings, head, and body like a dragon, but their scales can be either blue, red, or purple. Unlike dragons, Slates usually breathe _white _fire. My parents died in a battle against Slates. My brother was more fortunate with his encounter, and managed to be the victor against a Slate.

When Slates are not fighting, they take on a form that resembles humans. The only physical appearance that remains the same are their piercing eyes. If someone was to look directly into a humanized Slate's eyes, he or she should immediately be able to tell the difference. Unless one had never seen a Slate before, one might discard the strange eyes as merely genetic. This human form is generally used for their basic life skills, although I'm sure there were many spies in Weyard…

So it came to pass that Weyard's champion would fight against the Slate's champion. For the people of Weyard, our champion was the only hope left alive. But the champion was more than just that for me. Weyard's champion was my brother, Felix.

* * *

"You haven't been sleeping again, have you?" My brother Felix chastened me. "Even I need to sleep sometimes…" He reached out his hand to touch my face, while sitting on the edge of my bed. Though, my 'bed' was nothing more than a mattress with a sheet.

The room we were in was probably worse. It was littered with mattresses and sheets like mine, each one dirty and hardly giving any comfort. Each mattress was only meant to fit one person, and yet somehow there were always two people on one bed, if not three people. The room was wide but dark. I couldn't see the corners in the room; I don't think I even wanted to. I hated to admit it, but I feared rats…

But as long as my eyes were focused on my brother, none of this mattered. He was the one who helped me through times like these. Despite all the stress he was under, he always appeared calm. He always found it in his heart to be my big brother and protect me, while managing to sustain himself. Other times his concern seemed trivial. Why should he have been worrying about my sleep, when in an hour he would fight against the champion of Slates?

"I slept some," I lied, hoping he would buy it. I did not need to add another worry into his mind…

My brother's brown eyes stared into mine, as if to trying to find the truth. After some time he shook his head slowly, his brown hair waving slightly. "Jenna, with your fever… you need to rest. Stay here and sleep. You don't have to-"

"Don't say it," I interrupted, and shook my head violently. Immediately I regretted the action as I suddenly felt even more dizzy and light-headed. "I wouldn't miss seeing you fight. I have to be there…"

"I'll win… Jenna, I've come this far. I promise I won't loose… so, you don't have to worry," Felix vowed. His eyes never left mine and I was captivated by his gaze. He was so calm, but I had been so worried I didn't sleep. "I'm sorry, but I have to get ready now. You've still got a little time left, so why don't you nap?"

Before I had time to protest Felix was already off our bed, heading towards the equipment room. I watched his azure cloak flow behind him, his step confident and straightforward. Around him, people who had lost hope watched Felix's determination. It seemed to rub off on them, and after Felix was gone, they began to buzz with conversation.

Two down, one to go. The Xerian Ogres and Krags had already left our planets. Only the Slates remained.

I ignored Felix's suggestion of sleep and instead tried to get off my bed. I forced myself forward, propelling my body until I stood on my feet. Immediately my fever fought back, and I could feel the haze try to suck me down. I almost lost my balance, but my pride kept me from falling. A cold draft suddenly swept the dingy room, and I crossed my arms and shivered. I blinked for a few seconds stupidly, until the idea came to me to take the sheet with me. My hand reached for the sheet and it was pulled out from the mattress. I wrapped it around my body and began to take halting steps forward.

I half walked, half staggered to where I had seen Felix disappear. There was no way he could just expect me to leave him by himself. Not when such a tremendous battle was about to occur. I had to be there and support him. My fever wasn't _that _bad.

As I made my way towards the end of the room, I passed many people. Some of them were Adepts, some of them were not. Each one huddled in their own sheets, trying to gain warmth and comfort in the mattress. I passed by one old woman. She was sitting on her mattress, and a very young boy (I assumed it was her grandchild) lay in a small heap. His knees were curled up near his stomach, and his body shook violently with shivers. I stopped midway in my travel to look at him.

"Why's no sheet?" I said, my voice cracking. For me there was no point in using 'proper' English at the moment; my throat hurt whenever I spoke.

"Stolen," the woman replied, her voice low. Her eyes did not meet mine. I squinted and tried to see her better but failed.

Stolen? Had we really fallen on such hard times that a mere sheet had been stolen? The boy so obviously needed it. What kind of fiend would dare take it? I glanced around the room, checking to see if I could find the extra sheet, or someone willing to share theirs. No one met my gaze, but I could still hear the voices speak about Felix.

Reluctantly I unwound the sheet around the body. I handed it to the woman, before continuing to where Felix had gone. I tried not to look around me. It would only bring despair to see our poverty. If the woman ever thanked me, I don't remember.

At last I reached the end of the room. It seemed as though it had taken far too much time and energy to merely reach one destination. I dragged myself through the steel doors and found myself in a corridor. There were two passageways: one that lead up, and another that headed down. The top passage led to the surface of land, so I took the bottom one.

I passed many different doors, and in my fever haze the corridor stretched out eternally before me. I was always walking, but I never got further. Yet despite my feelings, I finally came to one door that read: ARMOR. I entered the room, praying it would not be as depressing as my living quarters.

Felix was in that room; thank goodness! If he was in some other room I don't know what I would have done. There was also another man with Felix. The man was short and overweight; I wondered how anyone could possibly be fat during the poverty we faced. His beard was cleaned and his clothes were well kept. Was it possible that there was a strange amount of aristocracy still in our world? Regardless, the man had the uniform of an officer, and more than just a simple private. Guessing by his many badges, he was probably a general or something of the sort.

"Authorized personal only!" The man scowled at me. I scowled right back. Let him try to make me leave.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize this room was only for 'our champion' and fat people only," I replied, my fever haze beginning to dissipate as anger took its place.

"Why you!" The man growled, and took a threatening step forward.

A sudden burst of coughs seized me, and I did nothing to try and stop myself from sputtering over the general. The man put his hand up to cover his face, but put it down dejectedly when I had finished coughing. He made a face of obvious disgust, before wiping his now went hand on the side of his pants.

"Jenna!" Felix finally interrupted, and glared at me disapprovingly. "Why aren't you sleeping?" I was happy that he wasn't criticizing me for my rude behavior to the man.

"I'm here to support you, Felix. You can't seriously expect me to just lay down with everything that's happening!"

"You know this girl?" The general cast a side glance at Felix. I could tell the man was not happy about my presence.

"Yes," Felix nodded his head. "She's my sister. Jenna, this is Colonel Amarillo." My apologies; he was not a general but a colonel. I had trouble telling the difference.

"Nice to meet you," I replied, all of my sarcasm and anger gone. The man just stared at me incredulously.

"Please allow her to stay with me, at least until the fight," Felix addressed the Colonel.

"…Alright," Amarillo mumbled after a few seconds. "But she better not get in the way."

For the next thirty minutes, I watched Felix outfit himself with armor. He chose simple leather pants, a tunic, and gloves. A scabbard was equipped to his back, and in Felix's hand he held a long sword that had been forged by heaven itself. We called it Sol Blade because it seemed as though only the fires on Sol (that's our sun) could have forged it. When Felix was ready, he began to exit through the door I had come through, but Amarillo stopped him.

"Aren't you going to wear something… more… er…" The Colonel glared at the leather Felix had chosen.

"But if I'm fighting a Slate," Felix argued, "I'll have to depend on speed, not power. A Slate's blow would kill me whether I was wearing steel or leather. And unless mythril isn't a legend, I suggest you let me go as I am."

The Colonel hesitated for a second before nodding his head, as if to dismiss Felix. I followed my brother as he walked back where I had originally traveled, until we reached the split passageway where the surface was located. It had been a long time since I had felt sunlight on my face, and I was happy that it was not raining. But my joy was immediately cut short as I was jostled by numerous people, who forced me away from Felix.

Each person shouted out encouragement, telling Felix he would win no matter what, all that sort of thing. I tried to get closer but I wasn't strong enough to push my way through the crowd. Felix ignored the crowd and began to walk towards the arena, which wasn't far from where we were standing.

The arena was nothing special; a pit dug in the earth with brick walls to prevent escape. My brother managed to fend off the crowd and reached the arena's entrance. He was about to simply jump over the edge when I suddenly felt my worry and fear increase tenfold.

"Felix!" I called out, hoping he would hear me. Miraculously he did, and stopped to turn his head toward me. The crowd was still packed around him, yet I could see Felix's face. "Be careful," I warned.

"Hey," Felix replied, and I could hear the laughter in his voice even from where I stood. "This is me we're talking about, remember? Don't worry." Then Felix hopped over the edge, and I could see him walk towards the arena entrance. Only when I saw the Slate in front of him did I realize that the crowds of 'people' on the opposite side of the spectator arena were really Slates.

I gulped nervously and found a seat on the withered grass. The seats (they were nothing more than lawn chairs, really) for us Weyard humans were packed. I didn't dare find a different spot, for I was afraid the battle would start.

While waiting for our all or nothing battle, I had little else to do but size up my brother's opponent. The first thing I noticed was that she was in her humanized form, instead of a hulking dragon. The second thing I realized that _she _was a _she_; I guess I really shouldn't have been surprised. I was female myself and believed women were just as strong as men. But getting other people to believe that was another thing. The other thing I noticed was how her hair was pink and her eyes red. This gave the Slate a very demonic appearance. And yet at the same time, in her human form, the Slate was only half the size of my brother Felix. Maybe size didn't matter to Slates… but wouldn't it be harder to topple someone… larger?

"Who is she?" I said out loud, maybe hoping that someone would answer.

"Karst, champion of the Slates," the person behind me whispered in my ear.

Before we could chitchat more (or before I could even see the person behind me), the bell to begin battle rang. Felix raised his sword warily, expecting Karst to change into her original form. Yet Karst did no such thing.

Instead the humanized Slate shrieked something; I believe she said "Rising Dragon!" A _red _flame erupted under Felix's feet. The dragon-like fume carried him high, before blasting into sparks. I winced, but wondered if I should perhaps be thankful. Why Karst chose to use red fire instead of white was beyond me. White fire was much more painful than red. Only weak Slates that could not breathe white fire used red.

Felix hit the ground, but he quickly picked himself up. I couldn't hear what he said, but I recognized his Clay Spire attack. Stalactites formed over Karst's head and hit her hard. The Slate shrieked, and then finally decided to change into her red dragon form. Now the battle would truly start. Karst breathed a white hot stream of fire, but Felix managed to jump out of the way. He raised his sword and shouted so loud that even the people in the back seats of the arena could hear his words clearly. _"Grand Gaia!"_

The entire world shook. More than half of the arena, where Karst stood, began to disintegrate. There was an unearthly shriek from Karst, before the dragon fell, rock and all, to the ground. Everyone was silent when the ground finally stopped shaking. All that remained where Karst had stood was a great hole. Most likely the arena would collapse after a day or two without the ground's added support.

A minute went by; no, two minutes went by. Nothing happened. Nothing stirred. The people of Weyard raised their voices to wild screams of joy. But I did not, for our victory still did not seem real. Without warning I leapt off of my feet and ran to the edge of the arena. "Felix!" I cried out, and suddenly realized how much I longed to be happy. My body relaxed and a smile began to play across my face. The stress of the past few years was gone.

Felix tore his gaze away from the great hole to look at me. He, too, was smiling; and I could see the relief through his movements and eyes. His Sol Blade dropped to the ground.

The battle for Weyard was over, or so we thought.

Without any sound or warning, Karst erupted from the hole Felix had created. The Slate catapulted herself into Felix's body. My smile, along with the crowd's cheers, vanished at our foe's sudden reappearance. My hand reached to cover my mouth in horror, and yet my eyes could not stop staring at the scene. Karst had rammed Felix into the arena's brick wall. Yet the Slate did not stop there and withdraw. She just pushed harder into Felix… and my brother's form struggled. But what could he do? He had already dropped the Sol Blade. The dragon pushed harder into Felix, and then he stopped moving. Karst finally withdrew, and my brother slid down from the wall. He landed in a slumped position, still unmoving.

"_Felix!" _I screamed, ruining the awful silence. Our dream had become a nightmare. My voice encouraged my foes. The spectator Slates began to cheer; no, they began to _laugh_. Laugh at our pitifulness. Laugh at what had once been our glimmer of hope. Laugh at our pathetic existence and our world.

The people around me began to panic. They began to edge away from the arena, before going in a full-fledged run. Yet I could not tear myself from the arena. I stood staring at what had once been my brother. He had had tough times, right? He should get up. He could not just die, and leave me here all alone… Not with all of Weyard depending on him!

The Slates were unpleased with the humans' behavior. The spectator Slates turned into their dragon forms, and flew to where the mobs of humans were. The terrible dragons began to lash out at the people. Screams erupted; everything was chaos. Slates began to grab (and sometimes even accidentally kill) humans. They wanted us of Weyard to be their slaves.

I was not in the mob of people. Most had run away, or tried to run away, but I could not tear myself from the arena. Suddenly I wanted to see my brother; at least check to see if he was alive. I hoisted myself over the rail and jumped to the dirt ground. As soon as my feet hit the dirt, I began to run towards Felix. It was a miracle, really; that no Slate saw and tried to capture me.

I reached my brother and fell to my knees. His body was a bloody mess, and his leather tunic had become completely red. His hands were somewhat clean, so I grasped one with both of my hands, as if to prevent him from leaving this world. My eyes met the ones that had once seen me. By another miracle, his face was intact. Even his hair only had traces of singe. He looked so peaceful and calm.

"You… are you okay?" I whispered. I knew it was a stupid question, but I could still at least hope…

_Hey, this is me we're talking about, remember?_

"Felix!" I cried out, trying to will him to live. My eyes clouded in tears. "Please, wake up!" My voice cracked.

_Even I need to sleep sometimes._

"Felix…" My hand released his. "Felix…" I put my head and arms around his body, not caring that his blood got on me. "Please… don't leave me all alone." My tears began in true full force this time. My body shook and I clutched at my brother's body.

I probably could have stayed there forever, if a rough hand had not pulled me away. I tore my gaze from Felix to see who had touched me. It was a humanized Slate. His eyes were red and cold. He began to drag me away from Felix. I tried to struggle but he was strong. I shifted my gaze to my brother again. "Felix…" I called. "Help… Felix?"

_Don't worry._

"Felix!" I screamed. The Slate kept pulling me. I was so far I could not see my brother. My last hope had been smothered. My sobs continued, and I became lost within myself; lost in despair.

A/N: Mm… don't have much to say. I respond to reviewers in the next chapter.

Acknowledgments: Camelot and Nintendo own Golden Sun and all related characters. And Razorsoft and Sega own Death Duel and the Xerian Ogres, Krags, and Slates. I know it's weird that Death Duel helped inspire me to write this story but it's true.


	2. A Reason to Live

Hope

Chapter 2: A Reason to Live

I cried. I don't know how long I did. It must have been a very long time; at least a day. So much sorrow overcame me that I became oblivious to my surroundings. The last thing I could recall was losing sight of Felix when the red-eyed Slate grabbed me.

Felix, the only one in my family who had not been killed in the war, was now lost forever. In the same day I had lost my home, planet, and future. There was nothing to look forward to. My brother no longer walked on this universe, but he was more alive than I was. I could think of no reason to live.

No doubt I could have cried forever, but soon enough something else interrupted my mourning. I had neither eaten nor drank since the day before Felix fought against Karst. Oddly enough I wasn't hungry, but my mouth was parched. My throat burned from the lack of water and my constant sobs.

I was forced to raise my eyes to the world around me. I was in a prison, or so it seemed. The dingy stone walls, ceiling, and floor where exactly the same length. A lighted torch rested on a holster near the prison's barred door, which created visibility towards the front end of the room, but left the back wall almost completely dark. There were other humans with me, although most seemed to be elderly.

My eyes made contact with one of the older men, who was sitting not far from me. He was in better shape than what most other people were. He wore loose yellow clothes, and a long brown cape that seemed to act as a blanket. He had dull, light blue eyes, which were surrounded by small spectacles. The man's head was crowned with white hair.

Noticing my persistent gaze, the man looked me straight in the eye. "Hm?" His voice was low. "Looks like you've finally snapped out of your stupor." He edged towards me, but I could find no words to say to him. "Now look, young lady, things certainly look down now, but that doesn't mean we have to go and loose all hope. We can be grateful that we still have our lives. It's important to mourn, but there comes a time when we must continue on. Are you listening to me?"

I didn't break my gaze. This man; I knew who he was. However my sorrow was so great that I could feel no surprise. "Kraden…" My voice was so hoarse and cracked that I didn't recognize it myself.

"Hm?" Kraden's glasses dropped from his nose onto the ground. He blinked a few times at me, before fitting his eyeglasses on again and peering at me with intense curiosity. "Have we met before?"

I nodded my head slowly. "Biology… sixth grade." It was painful to talk. This man only brought me more sorrow. He reminded me of the times in Weyard before war. That was when I had gone to Vale Elementary; when we weren't fighting for our lives and had the time to learn of other things.

Kraden just continued to stare, before a little light bulb went on. "Ah… my dear. You wouldn't happen to have been one of my pupils?" I nodded my head again. "Can it really be? Jenna?"

I closed my eyes and continued to nod.

"What!" My old teacher exclaimed. "What a coincidence! This is most amazing! The odds of this happening are very slim, indeed!" His shouting made me wince. I wanted him to go away, and leave me alone.

"Jenna, you are in terrible condition," he said, this time his voice lower. I opened my eyes to watch him dully. "If you continue to treat yourself so, you will die." At the time I thought that didn't seem so bad. "Now listen here. The first thing you need to do is get the proper supplements. The next time food and water are brought here, I want you to take them, pronto! And…" He took off his cloak and wrapped it around me. "You haven't been sleeping, have you?"

I choked on his words. The last true conversation I had had with my brother was about sleeping, and Felix had said almost the exact same line as Kraden. I began to cry again.

My teacher shook his head. "Jenna…" He said, and I could tell he was very confused. "You mustn't cry so. It is bad for your health." _So let me die!_ I almost screamed, but didn't.

After another few minutes I stopped crying, only because I could taste blood in my mouth. I dried my tears with Kraden's cloak, and looked up to see the old man still beside me. He looked as though he was about to say something, but the prison's door suddenly opened with a small creak. Immediately, any conversation that prisoners had with each other was stopped. Everyone watched the door open, and the one who came through it.

He was… human. His eyes did not carry the demonic glow of Slates. Instead they were a cold ice blue, although they did not return the gazes of us prisoners. His hair was dirty blond; fuzzy and spiked, and yet without hair gel. He was fit and trim, unlike us pale and gaunt captives. He wore light blue leather, but also had a strong breastplate equipped. Brown leather gloves were around his hands, which carried a plate full of food and water. There was also a sword on around the belt he wore. The young man looked as though he was no older than I…

Without a word or acknowledgment to anyone, the man placed the tray down on the ground with his left hand. Although his yellow cloak slightly covered his right hand, I could still see that it gripped his sword. My eyes never left him until he exited the prison, and the bars locked.

I, along with others, scrambled to the tray of life. We each grabbed something; there was a soup and water bowl for each person. I practically choked as I lifted the bowl of water to my lips and let it slide down. It helped a great deal, and I was immediately feeling better. With the help of the water, my hunger had returned. After the terrible hardtack I had eaten as ration food on Weyard, the strange yet flavorful soup was heavenly.

Once I had finished my meal, I turned to Kraden. This time, I was more willing to talk. "Who was that?" I asked him.

Kraden cocked an eyebrow at me. "Who was who? You mean the young boy who entered and left a little while ago?" _Young boy?_ He had been my age! He was not a young boy to me, but I suppose to Kraden…

I nodded my head.

"He's already been in here a few times. Seven, I believe. My dear, you must have been dreadfully out of it. Would you care for me to start at the beginning? The beginning is always a good place to start. What was the last thing you remember before speaking to me?"

"I…" I thought about it for a second. "I just remember… A slate with red eyes grabbing me. He took me away from the arena…"

"Then that's not too far from where I came in," Kraden smiled. I wondered how he could smile at a time like this… "You see, the Slates began to grab random people. Each Slate wanted to have as many humans as they could for slaves. However due to the short amount of time, they couldn't tell who was an Adept and who wasn't. They figured they'd sort out the regular humans from Adepts later.

The man… excuse me, the Slate who captured you is the same one who also caught everyone in this room. The Slate was picking up many people, putting them in his… hm, space ship, if that is what you wish to call it. We flew from Weyard to the Slates' planet. It seems that we humans cannot speak the Slates' language, so I have no idea what this place is called.

I was there with you in the space ship. Everyone was pretty sad so I figured that I would give you some time. When we reached here –wherever here is- everyone had pretty much finished mourning, save you. I tried talking to you, but you never responded so I gave up in time."

I blinked at Kraden. Why had he tried to comfort me, when he thought I was no one but a complete stranger?

"Then that young boy, the one who came not long ago, entered the prison," Kraden continued. "He gave us food and water, but when we tried to leave he stopped us. When we tried speaking to him, he would not respond. I assume that he cannot speak our own language. Anyway, some tried to force their way through, and there was a bit of a scuffle. The boy is an earth Adept, and was too powerful for us to handle.

A different time he came, but this time without food or water. He ushered one of the younger girls out of the prison. I don't know what became of her. Later he came in again, this time to escort a man that was in his thirties. The boy only comes in to give us food and water or to bring someone back with him. He is definitely our guard, set up by a Slate. This is merely pure conjecture, but I believe that he takes one of us to be set for auction. He also probably tests who is an Adept and who isn't."

"How do they do that?" I interrupted.

"Er, I'm afraid I have no idea. They probably have some system or another."

I shook my head incredulously. I could not believe that that young man would do such a thing. He was human, like us! He was a traitor to our own kin. I vowed that I would _never _work for Slates, no matter what. Anger, if not only a little bit, began to make a small hole through my sorrow.

"My dear," Kraden said. His voice brought me back to reality. "I must ask you something."

I had a bad feeling about this. My eyes went down to the floor. I thought that Kraden would ask something in retribution for everything he had done. "What's that?" I asked.

Kraden continued to stare at me, but when he spoke his voice was just a whisper. "Are you an Adept?"

I hesitated for a second. Many people despised Adepts, probably for a just reason. If not for us, there would have been no war or slavery. Our very existence meant that others had to suffer. We were a curse to Weyard. Now, regular humans were likely to be killed, just because they weren't Adepts. Yet if I told Kraden I was not an Adept, I would be lying.

It was all or nothing. Kraden probably already knew that I was an Adept due to my extended silence. I rose my eyes to meet Kraden's. "Yes," I whispered back. "I'm of the Mars element. That's fire."

"Then you have a better chance of living," Kraden said softly. "I am old and no Adept. When they find out they will probably kill me. They would have no use for a scholar. But since I am a scholar, I will continue to learn as much as I can until I die. Jenna, would you share some of the knowledge imparted to you in Vale? I know that there was a large population of Adepts in our town. They would tell me very little. I know about alchemy and the four elements: Venus for earth, Mars for fire, Jupiter for wind, and Mercury for water."

"But… but what should I tell you? What do you want to know?" I wondered.

"What are the four elemental stars?" Kraden asked bluntly.

I had heard of the four elemental stars, but not much else other than their name. "I have no idea. I'm sorry, Kraden. Is there anything else?"

"Oh… hm… disappointing!" Kraden's face fell. He thought about my answer for a second, before finding another question. "One more thing. This has to do mainly with one of your friends, and you might be offended if I am wrong."

Now Kraden had _my _curiosity. I wondered what he was talking about.

"You knew Piers very well, correct?"

Oh, I knew what he was talking about now. I had known Piers very well, although my brother knew him better. Actually, I had met Piers through Felix. Before we were at war, a new student arrived and entered eight grade at Vale Elementary. I was in sixth at the time.

Piers was unlike anyone we had ever known. His clothes were… odd. Perhaps even stranger due to the fact that he always wore the same thing. They were a light blue and fitted over all of his body, and yet seemed otherworldly. He always wore what seemed to be a headband at first glance, but then it actually expanded and became almost half of a cloak. But most striking were Piers's blue hair and glowing gold eyes.

No one would speak to Piers, for everyone thought he was just some freaky kid. And he did seem to do perfectly fine by himself. Oftentimes he would just stare out into the sky, as though he could see something that we could not.

Our school was private, and therefore very small. Grades sixth to eighth shared the same lunch period. Sometimes I would sit next to my brother, but most of the time he'd get mad and sent me packing. _"You have your own friends and I leave you alone with them. So I have my friends and I want you to leave us alone!"_ Put simply, 'no girls allowed.'

One day I saw Felix move from the table he normally sat at to the empty one where only Piers sat. Wondering what my brother was up to, I had left my own 'girls'' table and sat with Piers and Felix. My best friend, Sheba, followed me.

We talked with Piers the entire lunch period. He was not shy, like we had thought he was. He was just so independent, that he seemed much older than an eight grader. Mind you, he did not think he was better than us.

"_I'm different than all of you and I know it. But that's ok. I probably won't be staying in Vale very long. Maybe just a few years."_

The more we talked to Piers the more the three of us liked him. We found out that Piers's home was not far from my own and Felix's house. Felix asked if he wanted to walk home with us. Piers agreed.

After school we bid Sheba goodbye, before walking back home. On the way we took a shortcut through an ally. Piers told us his house was not far from where we were. However two strange looking young men, probably from highschool, blocked our path. They advanced towards us. I had no idea what their motives were, but I did know that they meant us harm. Felix savagely fought back and sent the two packing. Even I managed to get a kick or two in.

"_Why didn't you fight back?" _Felix turned to Piers. My brother had a bruised cheek from where he had been punched, but it was nothing serious.

And to our utter amazement, Piers shook his head. _"This happens everyday."_

"_Then why don't you fight back?" _Felix demanded. _"And if this happens everyday, why don't you tell someone? Do something? If you let them beat you up, then why don't you have bruises?"_

"_I am never hurt because…" _Piers walked towards Felix. My friend's body began to glow blue. The blue energy traveled to Felix, and mended my brother's wounds. _"…I use _Ply _to heal my wounds," _Piers smiled at us. _"And I do not fight back because I am a pacifist," _he said proudly.

This was before Adepts had been discovered. My brother and I joyfully exclaimed, _"Piers is an Adept, too!"_ Which, of course, lead Piers to ask what Adepts were.

We explained everything to him, and told him that he must be a Mercury Adept. _"No," _he disagreed with us. _"It is true that I wield the element of water, but I am no Adept."_

Felix, Sheba, and I continued to get to know Piers. Soon enough we became nearly inseparable; just the four of us. One day, after Adepts had been discovered in Weyard, Piers told us a secret.

"_I am not human. I am something called a Slate, which looks very similar to humans."_

Of course that raised a whole ton of questions for us. What was a Slate, why was he telling us now, why did any of this matter, he was still _Piers _after all. He answered our questions as best as he could, but there was still lightheartedness in our conversation.

"_The truth is I am much older than what I appear," _Piers explained to us.

"_How many years?"_ I wondered.

"_Come now! There is no reason to know that!" _Piers exclaimed.

"_But I'm afraid we haven't been treating you with the proper respect if you are much older than us," _Sheba said silkily.

"_Worry not about it. Treat me as you have within the time we've known each other."_

"_No! I want to know your age! Tell us, Piers!" _Sheba pouted.

"_Yes, tell us your age!" _I chimed.

"_You say you want to treat me with proper respect, and yet you make demands of me? This has nothing to do with respect! You merely wish to know my age!" _Piers laughed. _"Felix, won't you help me get them off my back?"_

Felix just grinned.

"_Not you, too? You were in on this the entire time, weren't you?" _There was mock fury in Piers's voice. _"I cannot believe this!"_

Later, when we had finished laughing, Piers told us that he would no longer live in Weyard. He was moving back to his home planet. Of course we bombarded him with the question: _why?_

"_Other than me you probably have never seen a Slate before," _Piers murmured sadly. _"In a few days there shall be a war; a war of Slates against humans. If I remain here, my kin would brand me as a traitor. I cannot bring myself to fight against my own family, so I shall return… my visit here has been most enjoyable. Please, in the oncoming war, remember that Slates are not evil. We are not demons. I will pray that you can defend against my kin's attack. The Slates have been seized by selfishness, and cannot see beyond their own lands. But not all of us are like that. I ask that you will not hate us, and keep me in your memory… I don't know if I shall see you again."_

The next day Piers was gone. There was no goodbye or anything. A week went by. A war erupted within all of Weyard. Terrible, demonic creatures took the form of humans, before turning into their dragon form and annihilating all that stood before them. Slates… just as Piers had said. For Piers's sake, I never hated the entire Slate race. Though, sometimes, the Slates were still demons in my mind.

"Jenna?" Kraden interrupted my musings, no doubt wondering at the incredible lack of silence. "Was Piers a Slate?"

I nodded my head. "Yea, but he was a good person, Kraden! Not… not all Slates are… evil…" I trailed off. I felt tired; emotionally drained. I walked to the darkest corner of the prison and slouched down.

Kraden looked as though he was about to follow me, but froze when the prison's door opened. Everyone present watched the blond-haired young man enter the room. There was no food tray with him, and he was headed straight towards Kraden.

"Ah… my dear," Kraden called out to me, and he was… smiling? "I am happy to know that you think that not all of them are evil. I know I will die, and as your teacher… I do not give you permission to die also! You must live; do you understand me? And…" He chuckled. "If you die I will give you detention for a full week!"

I stared. The man guided Kraden out the door. Then the doors shut with a terrible bang. Gone. Just like that. I never thanked Kraden for everything he had done for me, and I knew I would regret it the rest of my life. That man had killed my teacher! I choked. More tears. Gone. Someone I had just been talking to!

It was that man's entire fault. He betrayed us! He was human, too! Yet, he was more of a demon than Slates could ever be!

My thoughts raced and I could not catch them. The man came in again, and I stared at him. I could think of no reason why he was back so soon, and yet… he began to take more people! He kept coming back, until no one was left in the accursed cell besides me.

I resolved that if he did come back to get me, I would tell him how much I hated him. And he did come back. He came back, took one look at me, and turned to leave.

"You traitor," my voice was so low and full of malice that I didn't even recognize it. "You traitor. How dare you. How dare you betray your own people." The man froze dead in his tracks. He turned and looked at me.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I now know that I must have been quite an unnerving sight. Remember that I was sitting in the darkest corner of the prison. My eyes were red from tears and lack of sleep. My body was thin and gaunt due to a lack of nutrition. My hair hadn't been combed in a month. Felix's blood was still on my hands and face, except for where my tears had washed them away.

"No," the blond shook his head. "You're wrong."

I was mildly surprised by the fact that he could understand me and actually spoke back. However my anger was much greater than any other feeling.

"Wrong?" I spat back. "Wrong?" I was beginning to sound like a broken record. "You did betray your people! And I swear that someday I shall kill you. Whether I strangle you to death with my bare hands or take your treasured sword and stick it through your gut."

He didn't say anything in response, just sort of glared at me as though he was trying to size me up. Yea, I wouldn't have known what to say in response to my words, either. The man began to walk towards the prison's exit, although he never turned his back or left his gaze from me.

"Too afraid to take me back with you like everyone else?" I demanded as his hand reached the door.

He shook his head again, and opened the door.

"Answer me!" I shrieked. "Why aren't you taking me, too?"

"…That's none of your concern," he said after some time. None of my concern? I was _very _concerned about it.

The man left and locked the door behind him. I heard his footsteps fade. I wanted to rest; to become as strong as I possibly could to defeat the traitor. Instead of pure sorrow I felt only burning resentment.

I now had a reason to live. I hated that man.

* * *

A/N: Hello again. A'ight, so, I'm gonna wager that I fooled some of you with this chapter's title, hee hee. This IS a love story, believe it or not. Ok, and also, to answer a common reviewer question… Felix really died, people. Yea, sorry. No insane resurrections here. ((points to angst category)) Um… yea. And keep in mind that angst comes before romance for this story.

Acknowledgments: Camelot and Nintendo own Golden Sun! Razorsoft and Sega own Slates. So there.

New: since I am editing chapters, I am just getting rid of the reviewer acknowledgements, as ff has banned them.


	3. Traitor!

Hope

Chapter 3: Traitor!

My thoughts turned from sorrow to battle preparation. I was weak from malnutrition, and I needed at least some time to recover. My blond-haired captor could come back at any time. Wherever he took the rest of the prisoners, I was likely to follow later. That meant I was on a limited time schedule, so I would have to regain strength quickly.

But why hadn't the traitor taken me immediately? This thought irked me, but I could find no plausible answer. Perhaps before I killed him I could get some information. Though, other than answering a few questions, the information would be of little use to me. After I had defeated my guard, I planned to kill myself. No use staying…

First, I needed to rest. I had not slept in some time. I thought that this would be difficult, but it was actually quite easy. Once I had placed myself in the darkest corner of my cell, I fell into a deep slumber. I dreamed only of Felix, his last smile to me before Karst crushed him. Felix had been so peaceful, so happy… he should not have died that day.

When I awoke, I found that a tray with food and water had been placed at the front of my cell. This was good, and yet bad. It was good for helping me retrieve strength. Yet the man that I hated so had already came and gone, and I had not spoken to him. This infuriated me, but there was nothing I could do at the moment. Other than brood or pace there was little I could do. Conversation –or, even if it was just a few random insults hurled back and forth- would have been welcome. As suddenly as the wish was in my head, I immediately rebuked it. I was planning to _kill _him, not make conversation!

Speaking of conversationalists, I wondered if Kraden was alive or not. He seemed sure that he would die, but it was possible that he was still living. I hadn't seen his death with my own eyes… unlike Felix. Of course, there was probably no way of knowing what happened.

As I ate, I turned my thoughts back to the man I was to kill. I needed a plan of some sorts. After my death threat, he probably wouldn't set foot into the cell. I had psynergy. Psynergy could go through the barred door, but I would not be able to aim if he moved behind the wall. Besides, my psynergy was not powerful enough to kill someone in one blow. He would have more than enough time to simply run away.

As for breaking down the door… I knew I could not do that. It was made of a strange material; one I had never felt before. The idea came to me to unscrew the hinges, but the hinges were not on the side of my prison. So, I needed him to come to me. But what could possibly convince him to come inside?

If I were to escape, he'd probably come into the room to investigate how I did it. So if I made it seem like I had escaped, he would more than likely come in. Other than the tray there was nothing I could use to aid me. The back end of the cell was a bit dark, but he would still be able to see me if I hid there.

The torch. If I could extinguish the torch, then he might come in. But… the torch was near my prison's door, on the side where I could not reach. It was too high and far to throw my drinking water at. But then again… it was _fire_. Those who wield the element of Mars (that's me) could manipulate the fire. I could change its course and smother it with psynergy.

Then I could cram myself at the front end of the cell, and wait for my captor in the darkness. The extinguished torch would make it seem as though I was outside, and simply covering my escape route. So long as he did not try to get a better look inside the cell, I would not be seen. Then when he would walk in, I could surprise him. Maybe steal his own sword and use it to fight.

Or maybe the guard would simply think that the torch had gone out on its own accord. Maybe he'd replace it, and pay no attention to me. Maybe he would see me and not come into my cell. Or perhaps he would enter, but I would loose the fight.

Yes, my plan was a long shot. But did I really have any other choice…?

I walked to where the door was. Perhaps I should explain it a bit more sufficiently. The door was composed of bars, which prevented me from going out, but I could still see outside. I craned my neck to see if anyone was coming.

There was no one. I held my hands towards the torch. "Blaze," I whispered, my voice eerily hoarse and low. The flame on the torch increased in size when my psynergy reached it. The flame was excited by my psynergy, but I quickly quieted it down. It reduced itself to a low and warm orb. As I lifted my hands, the orb of fire rose from the torch. The sphere floated in midair, and I was loath to get rid of it.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "Fire, for now you must rest. I would call upon your power soon, I ask that you understand my use of you." As strange as it sounds, I always thank the element that has given me its power. After all, Adepts merely borrow the elements. They are not ours to own or keep.

I let my hands drop, and with it, the flames orb. It hit the ground and sputtered. Without fuel to feed it, the fire quickly died. Pitch black darkness enveloped my world. I could not see my hand in front of my face. I had to feel my way over towards the corner, where I planned to hide until my captor arrived.

Even if my plan did not work, at least I had done something.

I waited. It was neither a very long or short time. My eyes grew slightly accustomed to the dark, but it was still difficult to see. My breaths were shallow, as I was afraid I would give myself away. Sometimes I would imagine footsteps, but I quickly realized it was nothing but my mind playing tricks.

One time, however, the footsteps were real. My breath became even shallower, and my heart raced. One… two… three steps. A pause. Three more steps, but they grew fainter instead of stronger. At first I thought something unseen in my plan had gone awry, but I didn't dare move from my spot. A minute or two passed, until I heard more footsteps. There was a faint glow that began to get rid of some of my darkness. It was not enough to where I could be seen, though; or so I dared to think.

The steps grew louder until I knew that someone stood on the opposite side of the door. Unless he craned his neck in a very uncomfortable position, I would remain unseen. The light was most likely from another torch that the man was holding. I didn't dare to look and see if it was the blond man, for if it was and he saw me, all would be lost.

I forgot to breathe and my entire body tingled. My legs were not shaking, but they felt weak in anticipation. There was a scraping sound, as though the man was moving the lock from the barred door. It opened. And he stepped inside.

I restrained myself from immediately jumping out and attacking. I didn't want him to run outside. He took a few steps forward, looking at the end corners of the cell. I was towards the front; most likely he did not expect me to be there. Those few steps he had taken cost him dearly. I planned to shove him more inside and take his sword, then… wait! His sword! It was not with him!

But I was too far into this already to just give up! I lunged at the man, and pushed him further into my cell. The blond lost his balance and began to fall. He caught himself with his hands before reaching the floor, but lost his torch in doing so.

I put my hands forward and concentrated on psynergy. "Dragon Fume," I growled, careful not to shout lest it raise someone else's attention.

In the form of the great serpent, my fire found its mark and hit him hard. It was a full blow, and knocked him all the way to the ground. Due to the war, I was somewhat of a powerful Adept, even by my own people's standards. Even in my weakened condition, this man was in for a hard time.

Not waiting for him to recover from my last psynergy, I leapt upon the man on the ground. My aim was to choke him, and use the occasional fire psynergy to soften him up. However as I rushed to him, the man began to turn around on the floor. He managed to stop me from reaching his throat with his hands. I madly scratched, trying to reach my desired target.

The two of us struggled on the ground, and I had a slight advantage as I was on top of him. This continued for some time, and the two of us were too distracted to use psynergy. My energy began to wane, and I realized that this man was in better condition than me. I had to finish this, and fast!

I leapt away from him, cast Flare Wall at the same time he used Quake. Quake is very weak psynergy, and I was surprised at his choice. However, I did loose my balance and fell on the ground, hitting my head. I gritted my teeth and rose again, and found that my opponent was standing, also. Our eyes locked.

"Wait," he commanded me. As if I would listen to his words! In response I used Searing Beam. The line of fire headed straight towards the man, but he dodged it just in time. My beam hit the wall, and there was a scorch mark where it had hit.

The man used Gaia. Do you remember Felix's Grand Gaia? This man's Gaia was a weaker version of that. It only sent a few stones towards the ceiling, but one hit me right under my chin. I cried out in shock and hit the ground. My head took most of the impact and I thought it would split wide open.

The man exclaimed something, I am not sure what. It was a different language than the one I use. Then he quickly switched into mine. "I… didn't mean to hit you so hard. I'm sorry."

_He was holding back!_ The thought screamed in my head. And why the heck was he apologizing to me? We were fighting, for crying out loud! I shut my eyes and did not move, hoping to fool him. I heard his footsteps sound closer to me. He muttered the same word that he had previously shouted.

I leapt up without warning and rushed at him. I used Searing Beam again, and this time I did not miss. The force of my psynergy sent him hurtling into the wall, and I knew that I had done some damage. I took a few steps forward and prepared to use Flame Wall, but once again, the blond used Quake. I lost my balance yet again and hit the floor.

This time the man did not wait for me to recover. He catapulted himself onto my body. As I tried to fend him off with my hands, he took hold of my wrists and forced them on the ground. My hands were close to my head. I couldn't move with him sitting on top of my stomach. I tried flailing my legs but it did no use.

I had lost, then… I tried to lift my hands up again, but he pushed them down harder. I let out a soft sob as they were forced into the hard floor. I closed my eyes. I could not use psynergy in such close proximity.

The heat from the man's dropped torch reached my face. A wild thought entered my head. Perhaps the young man had come into the room without a sword for this very reason! To be… on top of me! What if… But, no-! I was planning to remain a virgin!

"Look at me," the man commanded softly. To show my defiance, I turned my head from his view, and just shut my eyes tighter. I thought about spitting in his face, but then figured I was in enough trouble as I was.

"Look at me," he said again, and his voice was neither angry nor imperious. It was enough to spark my curiosity.

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at him full in the face. His ice blue eyes bored into mine. They were dull, but as I continued to stare, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"You… you're!" He gaped. I did not understand what he was trying to say. "Who are you?" His voice rose. He weakened his grasp on my wrists, and that's the only thing I processed. "Jenna!" He said, but I had taken his temporary distraction to my advantage. I ripped my hands free and punched his face, before realizing that he had called me by _name._

The man was off of me, and I stood up. I stared stupidly at him. "How do you know my name?" I did not know this man…

"I…" The blond staggered up, his hand on his cheek where I had just hit him. "I didn't recognize you before. You've really changed, Jenna."

I just shook my head.

"You don't… remember me?" His eyes met mine again.

I didn't. I shook my head again.

"It's me, Isaac!" He said happily.

I just continued to stare. "Isaac…?" I repeated. The name did not sound familiar.

"You… heh. Still don't… that's ok." Isaac ran his hand through his hair. "How long ago was it… five years? I think that's the last time we saw each other."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling completely idiotic. "I still have no idea who you are."

"Well…" Isaac began. "I lived in Vale." Vale. My hometown, Vale. "I was homeschooled, unlike you. We didn't live very far, but not close, either. Actually, we never really talked to each other."

Now that just didn't make sense. "If we did not go to the same school, and did not live close, and never talked, how do you even know my name?"

"Er…" Isaac laughed nervously. "Don't worry about something like that."

I frowned. "I'm still going to kill you," I stated flatly.

"You don't have to do that!" Isaac's eyes widened.

"If you lived on Weyard, and now are working for Slates… you betrayed your own people! You… you're literally selling them into slavery!" I growled, trying not to shout.

"Wait, now wait a second," Isaac took a step back. "How about at least listening from my side of the story? Why don't we call a truce?"

"A truce…" I repeated, and eyed him warily. "Isaac," I tested his new name. "Please tell me, where have the others been taken? And why did I not go with them? Where are we, what will become of me, and where is the m… Slate that originally captured us? Why are you here instead of him?"

"Whoa…" Isaac smiled slightly. "That's a lot of questions. The one who captured you and everyone else… he's uh, my master: Saturos. I'm here because my job is to guard prisoners. Saturos uh… sells servants, to the highest bidder."

So, Isaac was betraying us, after all! …but he had not answered all of my questions so I did not attack.

"You weren't taken with them because um… no offense… you were pretty sick. We thought that you'd …sell… better if you were healthier. I came here to move you from this cell into an actual room. Until I was attacked… Anyway, I was going to take you to Saturos now, so… he's probably wondering where I've been. So…" Isaac trailed off.

My eyes shot to the ground. Sell…? How could Isaac even be part of such a conspiracy? After a few seconds of silence, I finally said, "ok… Well, truth is, I'm not feeling up to fighting now. I'll follow you to Saturos, but… this is just a temporary truce. And I have a lot more questions that you'd better answer."

Isaac nodded. "This isn't the best room to explain things in… After we see Saturos, you can get an actual room."

I subconsciously rubbed underneath my chin, where a rock from Isaac's Gaia had hit me. I was going to get a bruise, I just knew it. "Ok," I agreed, and nodded at him.

Isaac sighed with slight relief, then left the prison. I followed behind him. He was trusting, to let me walk behind him after our fight.

Isaac was… strange. I could not understand him. I was determined to find out a little more.

* * *

A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday. My family celebrated my birthday. I am now the might age of… ((drumroll)) fifteen! Ha. Well, thanks for reading my story, people. I'm young and inexperienced. This is literally my first romance story. Even if I haven't gotten into romance all that much yet… Thanks for putting up with me. This is pretty much just plain practice for me.

Oh yea, this is the only fight scene for this story. Won't be anymore! But… there will be some violence…

Acknowledgments: Golden Sun belongs to Camelot and Nintendo, Slates belong to Razorsoft and Sega. I wonder if Razorsoft is even a living company anymore…?


	4. Pure

Hope

Chapter 4: Pure

Isaac led me to a bedroom, before leaving to find Saturos. The bedroom only contained red furniture, except for the white curtains that hung from the bed's canopy. Overall it reminded me of something I could find in Weyard. The bedroom didn't seem very different from a noble's house decorated for Valentine's Day. I thought that this was strange. After all, weren't the Slates supposed to be aliens from another planet? Why would they even have things that resembled Weyard? Maybe they had stolen our idea…

Whatever the case might have been, I was happy to relax on the bed. It was tempting to fall right asleep, but Isaac had insisted that I at least meet Saturos before I did anything else. Saturos… I wondered what he wanted from me.

I was just beginning to drift asleep when the door suddenly flung open. I jolted up, my body catching on faster than my mind. A man; no, correction: a Slate had just walked into the room. Behind him was Isaac.

The humanized Slate looked vaguely familiar. I was certain that his red eyes belonged to the one who had dragged me away from Felix. Saturos fit the classic Slate, with pasty blue skin and a tuft of whitish-blue hair. He was also very tall, even exceeding Isaac's height, which meant Saturos practically towered over me. I meekly removed myself from the bed and stared at him. I was unsure of what exactly I was supposed to do.

After taking just one glance at me, Saturos turned to face Isaac. The Slate frowned, and demanded something in a different language. Isaac replied in the same language in an even voice, but his face looked like a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Hey!" Saturos spoke with a rough voice, using my own language. I looked, completely dumbfounded, to the Slate. Up until then, I had assumed that Slates couldn't speak the same language as me. "Where did you get that scratch under your chin?"

It took me a second to get over my shock, but then finally processed his words. "Th-this?" My hand subconsciously reached to touch my chin. I could feel a slight pain, and a bruise forming. Isaac's Gaia had hit me pretty hard.

Saturos nodded his head once, and narrowed his eyes.

I looked to Isaac for help, wondering what I should answer. But the traitor just returned my stare blankly. "We… we fought," I nodded my head towards Isaac's direction. I could see no reason to withhold the truth.

Without any warning whatsoever, Saturos suddenly swung around and punched Isaac under the chin! The young man lost his balance and fell to the ground. Even if he was a traitor, no one deserved to be hit by a Slate like that!

Saturos left began to leave the room, speaking in a monotonous voice, "you may use whatever you want in this room, but do not leave a mess. You have three days." I watched the receding figure until he turned a corner through the corridor and left. For privacy's sake, I closed the door and cast a side-glance at Isaac. He had picked himself up off the floor, but seemed mildly dizzy. He was using the wall to support him.

"What was _that _all about?" I demanded, leaning back against the door.

"Nothing," he replied, and began to make his way towards me. Oh, wait, no. He was making his way towards the door, but I was blocking it. Isaac stopped when I didn't move out of the way for him. "Please move," he said curtly.

I scowled. There was too much that I didn't know. I wasn't prepared to let my only information source run out on me. I took a deep breath and tried to make myself as tall as possible. I was still shorter than Isaac, but at least it helped some degree. "No. I deserve to know what the heck is going on. And you _will _tell me, or I'll never move out of the way."

The traitor snorted slightly, and glared right back at me. "Didn't you hear him for yourself? Saturos is letting you stay here for three days to recover."

"Why'd he hit you?" I got straight to the point.

"Because…" He faltered for a second, as if debating if he should tell me or not. Finally he gave in, and continued. "Because I was given specific orders not to hurt you, since we're waiting for you to recover. And I accidentally hit you too hard with Gaia, and left a mark. Which isn't good for sales. Now, please move."

My eyes glinted in understanding. I smiled maliciously at him. "Oh no. There's still so much more I want to know."

Isaac's light blue eyes turned into a dull blue, and he took a threatening step forward.

"What are you going to do!" My smile vanished, and I growled. "You're gonna hit me again?" Isaac stopped dead in his tracks. _Bingo. _"I didn't think so."

"I… I _hate _you," he sputtered.

"I hate you, too," I replied sweetly. "But the question is, will you be a good, law abiding citizen; er, slave; or will you break your master's orders and attack me?"

Isaac jerked away from me and sat stiffly on the edge of the bed. He squared his shoulders and looked me in the eyes. They were burning with anger, and I was strangely delighted at his misfortune.

"Now," I began, and the smile began to creep back onto my face. I had found a little weakness in this man that I planned to exploit. "Tell me, traitor, what exactly happened to the rest of the captives?"

"You're being pretty rude to someone that you want info from," Isaac shook his head. "How about something more respectful than 'traitor?'"

I paused for a second, considering his request. True, he had a name, but I didn't feel like using it. It made him seem… more human. "Very well," I agreed and nodded my head. "_Sir _traitor."

"Forget it," Isaac sighed. "Anyway, we already went over what happened to the other people."

"What about…" I stopped, thinking of how to word the question. I wanted to know where Kraden was, but Isaac probably didn't even know his name. "There was an old man whom I knew… He was a professor and alchemist, though he wasn't an Adept. What are the chances that he'd be alive?"

Isaac raised his eyebrow. "An alchemist?" He repeated.

I nodded my head.

"Chances are he's still alive. I don't see why he wouldn't be. It's not like the Slates go around killing everyone in their path."

"Sure seems like it…" I growled, but Isaac evidently didn't notice my statement and continued.

"Your friend probably made it into a house with an upper class family. Nobles like alchemy. He's probably gonna be better off than most. Not that working is that bad…"

"Isn't that bad?" I sputtered, my anger rising at how nonchalant he was. "I don't understand you! How can you let the Slates push you around like that? Why do you sell other people? How can you be in league with _monsters? _Have you no sense of right and wrong?"

"They aren't monsters," Isaac rose from the bed and walked towards me. "They are as much of monsters as we are! And I'm helping those people! It's like giving them jobs! They get food, they get water, they aren't mistreated, and they can't get fired! They've got their own insurance! What more could someone want? It's not like they're worked 'till death!"

"What happened to freedom? Equality? They destroyed Weyard!" I began to choke as memories from the past clouded my mind. "They went to war just so that they could capture Adepts! They killed my entire family. _Every single person in my family!_ I'm the only one left alive. And you know what? I'm not the only case. There's thousands of people like me!" The tears were coming down my face, now. My vision was blurry, but I was not crying because I was sad. I was crying because I was _angry._ I wanted to do something drastic, I just didn't know what.

Isaac was silent for a second, and then replied, "our planet was doomed, anyway."

"Wh-what?" I hiccupped.

"The Slates are helping us," Isaac continued.

"Helping? _Helping? _They're 'helping' to destroy Weyard!" I hiccupped again.

"No, you just don't get it," Isaac shook his head.

"I…" I hiccupped for the third time. "I understand everything! You're the one who's being an idiot! You, you insensitive, cold, unfeeling, monster, you, you…" I trailed off, before suddenly leaping off of my position from the door. _"Get out!"_ I screamed, and pointed to the exit.

Isaac cocked his head slightly and eyed me warily. "Wh-what?" He stammered. "I thought you wanted me to…"

"_Get… out!" _I shouted again. I didn't want to hear anything more from this traitor's mouth! His mind had been completely poisoned and corrupted, without his knowledge of it ever being damaged.

Isaac slowly walked passed me and went through the door. For a split second he hesitated, before turning to look at me. "Jenna…" he began. "Did I really make you that angry? I'm-"

_Slam!_

I closed the door so hard that the entire room shook. There was no 'lock' button, but at least it would discourage Isaac from coming in.

I collapsed on the floor, my pent up emotions begging to be released. For a little while I tried to contain them inside of me, afraid that Isaac might be outside listening. But long enough I just couldn't keep it in, and it all came out in the physical form of tears. This was bad. If Kraden… If Kraden knew I was crying again, he wouldn't be very happy. I couldn't remain in self-pity forever, anyway. But I seriously needed something to lift my spirits.

Like some caffeine. Or chocolate. But I wasn't likely to find either of those inside the bedroom. I fumbled to my feet, and blankly stared at the room for a possible oasis. There was the bed, but I didn't feel like sleeping at the moment. Strange that I had been very tired not long ago, but now I was wide awake.

My eyes fell onto a door painted white. In the midst of all the red, I was surprised that I had missed it before. I prayed that it was a bathroom, and that it included a shower and/or bath.

It had both. I smiled involuntarily as my hand reached out to turn the knob on the water. I froze midway, my smile suddenly vanishing as quickly as it had come. Why on Weyard (I suppose I shouldn't use that term anymore) was the bathroom precisely like any other? The Slates must have had their own culture… right? Why was everything so similar to Weyard?

_They are as much of monsters as we are!_

Isaac's words sprung into my mind. What exactly had he meant by that? Or was he just trying to prove that Slates were not very different from humans? If Isaac wasn't completely ticked at me, I'd have to ask him about that…

I banished the questions from my mind, and once again began to reach towards the water knob. My hand had actually touched it, but I froze when I heard someone whisper! Was someone… actually in the bathroom with me?

I turned around sharply on my heel, quickly scanning the room I was in. No, no one was inside. Once again I heard the whisper, although this time it sounded slightly different. I searched for the possible source. There was a vent on the floor, and the whispers seemed to be coming from it. I plastered myself on the white tile, trying to listen more closely to the whispers.

I recognized Isaac's voice. He was speaking the language I used, too. "…at all." I heard him finish saying.

"Well," the second voice belonged to Saturos. "That's good. You took so long I thought something happened."

"Are you, er, er…" Isaac trailed off. It was possible that he said something else after it, but if he did he did so quietly.

"Speak your mind," Saturos commanded.

"Are you so sure it's a good idea to keep her in that room? If Menardi comes back and sees her in her room, she's gonna freak…"

Oh, so they were talking about me, then, right? Why weren't they speaking the Slate language? And who the heck was Menardi?

"Menardi…" Saturos let out a small chuckle. "You know my wife." Oh, so that's who she is. "She was supposed to come back yesterday. So much for her 'short visit to congratulate her sister's victory.' She probably went to sleep with some other man. I don't expect her to come back in four days; she's usually at least five days late than what she actually says. If she does somehow get here early, make sure to get the girl out of the room fast. Menardi would fry her to a crisp. A crispy shish kabob. And I don't think that'd be very good."

"Yea…" Isaac agreed. "Speaking of death, I think it would be better to make sure that the girl doesn't get her hands on any pointy objects."

"Suicide?" Saturos suggested. As if! I was still planning to kill Isaac. Maybe suicide later, but…

"S-something like that," Isaac stammered. Ha! He was afraid of me!

"Well, I wasn't planning on giving her a knife anyway. Not even for eating purposes."

"I was thinking more of forks…" Forks? Oh boy. That's me. Laughing insanely at Isaac's dead body while holding up a fork triumphantly, the instrument I had used to poke him to death. "Do we have any sporks?"

"I don't think she'd be able to kill herself with a fork, Isaac. Or anyone else, for that matter."

I picked myself up, and moved away from the vent. I had heard enough useless chatter. While doing so, I passed a mirror above the sink. I looked at my reflection, and was surprised that the reflection was actually my own. Dirt caked my face, with a few mild tints of red. My hair was knotted and tangled. If I was going to get rid of this mess, I at least needed a hairbrush after I showed. Or I could possibly bring the hairbrush with me in the shower. That would help, too.

There was a small cabinet under the sink. I opened it, and found a host of items that was… how could I put this… for girls. Hairbrushes, makeup, nail polish, even clothes, and… I froze as I ran my hand towards the back end of the cabinet. I pulled out a box and stared at in disbelief. I bit my lip, as I suddenly felt like laughing. But why should I hold it in? I began to giggle insanely. This was _definitely_ a female's bathroom. But I would never have even expected that Slates had periods!

I put the box back where I found it, before taking the most beat-up hairbrush I could find. If I used one of the new hairbrushes, I'd probably ruin it. I wanted to avoid trouble as much as I could with the Slates. And besides, I knew what it was like to have someone use stuff without my permission.

I closed the cabinet. Once I changed out of my clothes, I knew there was no way I'd put them back on again. I'd have to borrow something. Hopefully that 'Menardi' would not be terribly angry at the loss of one pair of clothing.

I turned the water on, making sure that the icon was over the 'hot' side. Once the water was warm, I stepped inside with my hairbrush, sighing in relief. I definitely had needed a shower. The water was pure and clean, and rid me of the dust and dried blood on myself. My entire mood lifted as I began to feel more relaxed.

The purifying effect was not only on my body, but also on my mind. Maybe… just maybe I wouldn't have to kill Isaac after all. And maybe I wouldn't commit suicide, either.

* * *

A/N: Well, hi, again. People actually read my author's notes? Amazing! I am most surprised. I had no idea. Really, I thought people didn't read them.

Guys in audience: EW, you said 'period' in the story!

Yea, I know guys don't like that. Sorry. But it just worked out that way.

Previously, I mentioned to Rozzlyn that I would explain all of Weyard's culture this chapter. It turned out to be a lie. It'll actually be next chapter. Sorry.

Oh yea, to all my reviewers, I give you all a BIG thanks! I haven't received so many reviews on one story before; this is really awesome for me. I'm even receiving death threats! I'm attracting a wide variety of people! I am so flattered! I thank you all!

Happy Mother's Day, mothers.

Acknowledgments: Camelot and Nintendo own Golden Sun. Razorsoft and Sega own Slates. And my father likes Death Duel. Story wouldn't be here without Death Duel!


	5. Milady Menardi

Quick A/N: Unless I'm mispronouncing Menardi's name, 'Milady Menardi' is really fun to say. Seriously, try saying it out loud, if no one's around you right now.

Oh yea, this chapter mentions evolution and also quotes a Bible verse. It does not get heavily into it, but if you are extremely pious/atheist then you may not like it. Keep in mind that this story is precisely that: a story. Heck, I don't even agree with everything the characters say in this story. So please don't flame me about that. Just because you disagree, does not mean you have to be disrespectful. And remember, the story is here for you to enjoy, not to get angry at, okie dokie? Feel free to flame about anything else, though. ((insert smiley face here))

Hope

Chapter 5: Milady Menardi

After my shower I had collapsed on the bed. Before my head had hit the pillow, I was asleep. Indeed, I barely even remembered walking to the bed.

The next morning –or, heck, I didn't even know what time it was- I awoke slowly. My head was clear and my spirits were high. I had not felt this way in days. Both mentally and physically my strength had been regained. Who knew that something as simple as a shower would have such an effect? Perhaps it wasn't the shower alone…

I put my hands on the bar above my head and stretched. Allowing myself a rare faint smile, I opened my eyes.

Felix would be happy to see me get a full rest. I only wished I could have showed him sooner.

My eyes fell on the doorway, which to my surprise was open a crack. There were feet there, too. Feet connected to legs. Legs connected to body. My eyes finally reached the other's blue eyes and I flushed in embarrassment.

"_Isaac!" _I screamed, disrupting the peaceful silence. "What the heck are you doing staring at me? How long where you there? No, forget that, you pervert! Just get the heck out!"

Isaac jolted away from the door as though it was on fire. He became lost in my sight, but I heard him when he spoke. "I just came in to-" he cut off abruptly, and I realized why. Aw, crud. "Did you just use my name?" I hadn't used his name since when he first introduced himself, as 'traitor' seemed much more befitting of him.

"Shut up!" I howled. "And just go away!"

The door closed, and I heard receding footsteps. What the heck had Isaac been planning to do? And did I even _want _to know? Thank goodness I was sleeping in the clothes I had borrowed!

I rose from the bed and made my way towards the bathroom. Saturos had mentioned I was to stay here three days. Was he counting yesterday, too? Would this be considered my first or second day? Probably second… that meant I had less time to kill Isaac.

But now… Now, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to kill Isaac anymore. He wasn't so incredibly bad. A little weird and tainted by the Slates; yea, sure. But he didn't seem _evil_.

Then again, if I did decide not to kill Isaac, what should I do? _Suicide_… well, but… I felt content. Why I felt content was beyond me, but I was not overly angry at my surroundings or myself. Mind you, I wasn't happy, but I wasn't depressed, either.

But the idea of being sold like a slave was far from pleasant. And the idea of being sold by _Isaac _was even worse, simply because he was also human.

I brushed my hair with the hairbrush I had borrowed. As I looked into the mirror above the sink, I had trouble believing what my eyes told me. Without all the dirt coating me, I seemed truly beautiful. I do not mean to seem arrogant, but it was true. Or at least, I thought so. This small fact made me more confident. I didn't know what to do yet because I had too many questions. Yes, that was only natural. After Isaac answered some of my questions, I would certainly know more.

I set the brush down and left the bathroom. What to do…? The bed was unmade. Without a second thought I reformed it. It only took a minute or two, and it still left me with more time than I needed or wanted. I pursed my lips. Perhaps I was permitted to leave the room. Neither Saturos nor Isaac had mentioned me staying in captivity… or did they merely assume that I knew what was expected?

Anything was better than sitting and doing nothing. I opened the door that was both the exit and entrance into my temporary room. It wasn't locked, which was a good sign. There were no guards or people/Slates yelling at me to close the door, either. In fact, no one else seemed to be in the hallway.

There was a stairway leading downstairs at the opposite end of my room, and also two doors on the side of the hallway. As quietly as I could, I crept to the nearest door. Opening it cautiously, I peeked inside. It was another bedroom, but this one was decorated blue, instead of red. No one seemed to be inside, but I still felt uncomfortable waltzing inside. I closed the door slowly, and wondered what was behind the other door. Another bedroom, perhaps? If it was Isaac's, his sword might be there. But then again, what exactly would I plan to do with a sword?

I opened the second door, this time without trepidation. My heart skipped a beat as something moved and came on top of me! Letting out a yelp of surprise, I fell to the floor, with a host of miscellaneous stuff with me. There was a loud _crash _that seemed to resonate in the hall. Most of the items were foreign to me, but one thing was for sure: this was definitely a closet.

Down below me, I heard someone scream, "what the heck was _that?_" The voice worried me, for it was female, and obviously did not belong to Isaac or Saturos. I extracted myself from the mess and scrambled back into my room. In some ways I was like a grounded child who had been busted for trying to sneak out for the day.

However my fear was much greater than that. I leaned against the door and hoped no one would violate the sanctuary of my room. There was a loud pounding noise, which I wished fervently that it was only my heart, but knew it was too loud for it to be so. Someone was climbing the stairs; and fast.

I leaned against the door harder, hoping no one would enter. The pounding sounds became louder. Suddenly there was a great pressure from the opposite side, and I struggled to keep it from pushing its way in. I didn't know what was on the other side, and frankly, I was afraid to find out.

"Jenna!" It was Isaac's voice, and I found relief flood through me. I jumped away from the door and let it open.

I faced Isaac, and was surprised to find that his eyes did not carry his normal stoic emotions. They were wide and frightened; ones I had never seen.

"What-" I began, but he cut me off abruptly.

"No time to explain," he shook his head and grabbed my wrist. At first he practically dragged me, but I realized the urgency of the situation and followed him on my feet. Isaac's hands were cold and he was gripping me far too tightly.

"Keep your hands to yourself," I snapped. "And don't touch me." Whatever fear I had felt was gone. I could deal with this traitor. I tried to yank my hand away but failed.

"Oh, be quiet," Isaac growled in response. We came to the stairway, but before going down Isaac looked over the rails. He quickly withdrew and muttered the one word in the Slates' language that I was becoming accustomed to hearing.

Isaac turned around sharply and dragged me to the blue bedroom I had seen before. We entered the room and he closed the door behind us. He put his ear to the door, as though waiting for something.

"What-" I tried again, but he cut me off for the second time.

"Don't speak," he growled. "Don't say anything. Not until I tell you."

I took a threatening step forward, and I glared at him. "You can't tell me what to do! I don't have to do anything you tell me."

"Foolish girl," Isaac muttered. "I'm doing this for your own good. 'Flame that cannot be tempered.'"

I stood dumbfounded, wondering how he had known what others called me in Vale. Many adults had called me a 'foolish girl.' My parents often referred to me as the 'flame that cannot be tempered.' At the time I had been too young to know what my parents meant, but I learned in later years. However, only my parents called me a 'flame that cannot be tempered.' They used it when I refused to listen to their advice. But how would Isaac know that?

Isaac took a few steps away from the door, and just in time. The door swung open suddenly, revealing a female humanized Slate. Her hair was a sickly white, and her skin had a reddish tint, as though her clothes had died her skin. Er, scales. Whatever they were.

Her eyes scanned the room, and stopped dead center on me. She ignored Isaac and began to walk towards me. I tried to move; to speak; to do _something_, but her eyes held me captive.

Isaac jumped between us, and just in time. His back blocked the Slate's demonic red eyes, and I was glad for this. "Milady Menardi," Isaac addressed her in a respectful but firm tone. "Welcome home."

Menardi… Saturos's wife. She was back already, then. This was not good. Most undoubtedly it meant I would loose the room I had slept in. I certainly did not want to return to that dungeon…

"Hmph," Menardi huffed. "And what are you doing in Saturos's room?"

"Searching for a spare blanket," Isaac lied silkily. It was good that Menardi could not see my face, for I'm sure I would have blown it. "We were just on our way out."

"You're sure it has nothing to do with another woman being in my husband's bedroom?" Menardi snarled, and took a few more steps forward. She roughly shoved Isaac out of the way, and continued to come towards me. I backed away from her, unsure of her intentions.

"Girl," Menardi changed her tone to a more pleasant one, but it did not allay my fear. "How long have you been here?"

I licked my lips and looked to Isaac for help. Behind Menardi, Isaac shook his head wildly. I recalled his words.

"…" I returned my gaze to Menardi and simply stared blankly.

"I will not hurt you," Menardi continued.

"She doesn't speak," Isaac cut in. "You won't get a response. And now we must take our leave. Forgive our intrusion."

Isaac stepped between us again, and placed his hand around my shoulders. He ushered me out of the room, but I could feel Menardi's eyes burning a hole in my back. Once we were out of the bedroom and Menardi's gaze, I let out a small sigh. I suddenly realized Isaac still had his hands on me, so I shrugged them off; but not before glaring in indignant self-righteousness at my captor.

We went down the stairs, then turned, and took another flight of stairs down. As Isaac opened the door, my suspicions were confirmed. I froze in my tracks.

"Oh, please, not that stupid dungeon! Is there nothing else available?" I shook my head.

"Don't worry," Isaac smiled. "We're just staying temporarily until Saturos finds something better. It shouldn't be more than a few hours."

I was about to nod my head before what Isaac said hit me. "'We,'" I repeated incredulously.

"Yes…" Isaac calmly looked me in the eye. "I am to stay with you not as your captor, but as your guard. I hope you understand…"

I awkwardly lowered my eyes, unsure of how to respond.

"Wow," Isaac murmured. "You sure are beautiful today." I realized it was the first time that Isaac had actually seen me in the day, as before we had been to busy.

I felt the color rush to my face, and my heart beat faster. What was I supposed to say in response to _that_? My mind raced for a smart aleck response, but it was having trouble finding one. "D-don't think that changes anything," I stammered, still refusing to look him in the eye. "Traitor," I added.

Isaac shook his head slightly, and I knew I had hurt him. For some reason I felt bad for hurting him, too. This was confusing, and I berated myself for such feelings, but they did not go away.

After we had walked a few steps, Isaac sat down with his back to the wall. It was pretty dark, so I used my psynergy to light a nearby torch. The light made some things merrier, and lifted my mood slightly. This was retribution for previously extinguishing the flame the other day.

I was alone with Isaac, too; which was good. Perhaps I could gain some information. "Sir," I began, about to finish with 'traitor,' but thought that perhaps I had hurt the blond a bit too much to begin with. If he became mad, or sullen, I would surely learn nothing. "Isaac," I finished, forcing myself to not return the man's surprised glance. "Please tell me a little of this 'Menardi.'"

"Menardi? Hm…" Isaac replied, and from his tone, I knew he would continue. "Menardi is Saturos's wife, which she mentioned before. She's one of no low status among the Slates, because she is the sister of-" Isaac cut off abrubtly, and did not continue.

"Hm?" I pressed, suddenly even more interested.

"Er…" Isaac's eyes seemed intent on studying the ceiling. "Never mind that. Menardi's part of the noble household 'Prox.' Saturos is also from Prox. However, Menardi never learned the 'dragon' language of Slates, which was why she spoke in our own language."

"Ew," I scowled. "Same household of Prox? Incest?"

"No, not like that…" Isaac shook his head. "Think of it more like tribes. There's lots of different families in one house, but all carry the name of 'Prox.' Sort of a Slate thing."

I decided to let 'the sister of' thing remain unknown for the moment. It didn't seem terribly important, anyway. "Speaking of Slate things… Everywhere I look, the Slates have many things that are similar to Weyard. And you just mentioned that the Slates have two major languages, and one of them is ours, right? How can that be? The other day you mentioned, 'they are as much of monsters as we are.' What did you mean by that?"

"Oh…" Isaac finally removed his eyes from the ceiling to look at me. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Why on Weyard would I _not _want to know?" I retorted, before realizing I had said 'Weyard' again, when it no longer existed.

"Well…" He hesitated, before continuing. "The Slates are an evolved form of humans."

"What?" I scoffed. "You're joking!" I took one look at Isaac's eyes, and knew he was serious. "…You cannot truly mean…" I trailed off.

"The Slates were originally just regular humans, and they lived on Weyard," Isaac continued, while I shook my head. "They evolved at a faster pace than most other humans, and their kind prospered. Their bodies, however, were not originally able to simply transform into dragons. Instead, they were lycanthropes."

"Lycanth-what?" I interrupted.

"Werewolves."

"What? Those are nothing but myths!" I exclaimed.

"…They no longer exist. Now, hundreds of years later, they can transform into a better form: dragons. However, they lost their ability to turn into a wolf. This is probably a part of adaptive evolution. And not just their bodies were different, either. They possessed a higher amount of intelligence, and their technology was far greater than our own. The normal people of Weyard viewed the Slates as abominations, and burned them at a stake. The Slates were forced to flee into seclusion, but even that wasn't enough. They went farther… and found refuge in another planet," Isaac finished.

"Unbelievable!" I snarled, wondering how Isaac expected me to believe such a thing. "I am not as gullible as that! What proof do you have?"

"Jenna, do you remember Sol Sanctum?"

"The temple that Vale had; yes," I nodded my head.

"Remember the architecture? No normal person could build something like that."

"An ancient civilization did," I snapped back. "They claimed to do so in the name of Sol, the sun god, and Luna, goddess of the moon."

"No," Isaac shook his head. "It was the Slates. And that's not all, either. The Slates also built Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury Lighthouse. They also made Ankohl, Tundaria Tower, and maybe even Lemuria, if it existed. Do you recall the legend of the Anemos?"

"The fairy tale that talks about people living on the moon? The people of Contigo believed that the Anemos went to the moon. The people of Anemos supposedly had strange powers, and were excluded from most other humans. So, the Anemos went to where there was no persecution: the moon"

"Yea, except it's no fairy tale. Those people were Slates. But soon they went farther from the moon, and onto the planet we're on now. But some missed Weyard, and returned to their home planet. With them, they brought some of the new technology they had achieved from other planets, along with their culture. You'd be surprised, really, to find out how many religions and holidays are from other planets! The Slates changed our course of history with what they brought back."

It all seemed so preposterous, but I could find no flaws or a reason as to why Isaac would lie to me. Still, the fact that Slates and humans were so closely related was troublesome, to say the least. There was still one question I had about it, however… "If the Slates evolved faster and were able to obtain better information, why is it that they took such an interest in Adepts and psynergy?"

"Because…" Isaac inched a little closer towards me. "…Adepts are a new path a different evolutionary branch than the Slates. Adepts tap into the power of the elements, while Slates borrow the forms of other creatures. The fact that Adepts gained elemental abilities before transforming their form has never been heard of. Thus, the Slates want to see what this evolutionary path leads to…"

I shook my head. "Th-that's… they think of us as research? If we are so similar, how can they…" I trailed off.

"No, no! It isn't at all like that. The Slates are there to make sure that our evolutionary path doesn't lead to death. If something goes wrong, they'll be able help…" Isaac put his hand on my shoulder, and I turned my head sharply to look at him. Our eyes locked.

"Don't worry," he sighed. "I'm sure you'll… be taken good care of. I'll make sure of it. The morning after tomorrow, we'll take you to the household of Hammet. Hammet is the ruler of Yalak. His servants are treated wonderfully; believe me, there's never been a report of abuse. They're probably better off than most civilians. Ok?"

"What… what should I expect?" I asked awkwardly, happy to get off the evolution discussion.

"Well, you'll most likely work as a cleaning maid, cook, or concubine," Isaac replied.

"_Concubine?" _I shrieked, ruining our peaceful moment. "I shall most certainly not be a concubine!"

"Huh…?" Isaac gave me a confused look. "It's the easiest job, you know. You don't have to do anything, unless one night Hammet calls you to his-"

"Shut up!" I snapped. "I will not be a concubine! I'd rather die! My virginity is a gift to the man I'll marry; and no one else!"

"Um… ok," Isaac shrugged. "But it's going to be hard if you refuse to do your job. Just hope that you'll get something else, then. Oh, yea… there's something else I should probably mention about the Hammet household, too.

Be careful of Hammet's son: Ivan. Ivan might be young, but he can tell instantly what a person really feels, or if they're lying. Try to stay out of his way; it might mean trouble."

"Sure…" I nodded my head. "But, please tell me…" I hesitated, for my next question seemed rather foolish. It was not about the Slates, or Hammets, or whatever. It was a personal question. "Why is it that you are so intent on helping me? And you tell me much more than what you have to…"

"Well…" Isaac blushed slightly. "Er… don't worry about something like that."

"Please, Isaac?" I begged, using his name again. "And you say so many things that are in my personal life. Can I at least know why you know them? You knew who I was, my name, even the nickname my parents gave me… surely, there must have been some reason?"

Isaac opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again. Finally he opened it again, and said, "six years ago, when we lived in Vale… I was sitting behind a tree, near the river. There was a house on the river."

I nodded my head. The house on the river must have been mine; my family was the only one who lived directly on the water.

"As I sat there beside the tree, I heard someone shouting. The door to the house opened, and I saw a girl who was about my age. She howled something in a stream of words… it was so fast that I didn't understand. Then she closed the door quickly with a slam, and ran off. I was curious to know where she was going, so I followed her…"

The girl must have been me; when I was young, it was not uncommon for me to have tantrums. I'd often find my secret hiding place, and simply cry until I felt better, and thought of a solution. I also enjoyed the quietness of nature, and found it somehow soothing.

"…She came to a place deep in the woods. There, she fell to her knees, and wept. I did not know what to do, so I watched her. The next few days I learned that the girl often returned to this place, and I was always near her, although she never detected my presence. It was then that I decided that I would become her… guardian angel, so that I might help, for the girl must have much sorrow to come day after day. And for the next two years, I was there watching her. I learned of her problems, and if I could, I helped fix them… but I never spoke to the girl. I was merely content to see her happy…" Isaac trailed off, and forced himself to smile at me. "But, I'm not very smart, so, I know it seems strange…"

I shook my head, my heart beating faster. Why? A complete stranger had reached out to help me, yet he never spoke to me. He did everything in the shadows, never sought gratitude or even a friendship; merely content to see me happier. Now, Isaac continued to do the same, even though I had proclaimed I would kill him.

"Th-that's… how could you… but I said…" I never finished in complete sentences. "I've been terribly selfish," I finally whispered. "Isaac… I'm so sorry… but why… why did you…?" I hesitated, before letting myself lean into his body. If he saw me weak then, and helped me, what would make now any different?

I felt Isaac's body go stiff at first in response, but then he relaxed. He put his arms around me. "You know what they say…" He began, and I looked into his face expectantly. "…That the greatest treasures man has are faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Without love, neither hope or faith can exist… right? Don't worry."

_Don't worry. _I wonder… what Felix would say.

It was not very long that I stayed in Isaac's arms. A voice called down to us; I recognized it as Saturos speaking in the other language.

Isaac reluctantly pulled me away from him and stood up. "Come on…" he said softly. "Menardi's gone. You can take her room again."

I stood up slowly, cast one look at Isaac, before walking out of the dungeon and up the stairs, until I reached my room. I went to the bed, and sighed. I had a lot to think about…

* * *

A/N: Hello people… sorry it's been a while. School's coming to an end, which means I'll be busier now, but have more time in summer. This week I'll be studying for finals… blergh! I'm also experiencing minor computer programs, which while not lethal, is extremely annoying, and makes typing stories much, much, harder.

Oh yea, was the above scene unnatural or corny? It's my first time, you see, so feedback is greatly welcome.

Acknowledgments: Camelot and Nintendo own Golden Sun, while Razorsoft and Sega own the Slates. The story does not necessarily reflect the companies' opinions, or mine either, for that matter.


	6. Blossoming

Hope

Chapter 6: Blossoming

_"Hey, I've got something to tell you," _I murmured sweetly.

_"Um… Jenna?" _The boy's voice cracked slightly, and I was surprised. I had never heard his steady voice give out. My heart was pounding, and I knew that his must be, too.

_"Piers…" _I purred. _"I love ya! Wanna go out on a date?"_

_"Wh-wh-what?"_ The blue-haired boy's voice took a most unnatural tone. _"Jenna, I do not think…"_

_"Huh?"_ My heart began to break. No one had ever _rejected_ me before! _"You… you don't… want to? Don't you love me?"_

_"I… Jenna, from where I come from, marriages are arranged. And from your people's standards, isn't a 'date' when people consider getting married, and go to different places to see if they enjoy the other's company?"_ The river near my house continued to run, and I wanted nothing more than to be like it._ "And… aren't you… um, we… too young to date?" _Piers struggled for words.

_"Oh," _my heart quickly began to rise, when I realized he was thinking of something else. _"I didn't mean a serious date."_

_"Oh!" _Piers's voice took back his natural tone. _"I see, you were joking!" _He began to laugh, probably letting out the pent-up nervousness.

_"Huh?" _Now, I was just confused. _"I wasn't joking!" _I demanded angrily.

Piers's laughter immediately died. He stared at me, as if fearing my wrath.

_"I just meant, like, you know! A regular date. Not a serious, 'I want to be your wife' date. Just a boyfriend/girlfriend thing!" _I explained.

_"B-boyfriend?" _Piers stammered. _"Jenna, aren't I a bit too… er… old for you?"_

_"Huh? I'm twelve years old! And you're… what was it, again?"_

_"Er… fourteen?" _It sounded more like a question than a fact.

_"Yea, I mean, that shouldn't make a difference, right?"_

_"Uh… uhm…"_ Piers didn't sound convinced. I thought how strange it was. All the other boys always accepted my invitation as a boyfriend. Sometimes they even came around and asked me to be their girlfriend, like the blacksmith's son. _"I… I'm sorry, Jenna. I like you as a friend, and I'd really prefer nothing more than that."_

I wanted the earth to swallow me up. If there was something to be said, I went right out and said it. Things usually didn't turn out bad. Certainly, not like _this._ I felt tears beginning to come to my eyes, and I began to sniffle.

_"Jenna…" _Piers whispered, with fear still laced in his voice.

_"Ignore her," _the two of us turned as the door of my house opened, revealing Felix in the frame. _"I heard everything. Piers, you did nothing wrong. I don't want Jenna to 'date' right now, either. You're right. She's too young. Heck, _we're _still too young. Jenna, seriously, all you're doing is getting rid of the friends you had that were boys, when you try to make him your 'boyfriend', break up, and never talk to each other again."_

_"Felix!" _I howled, my tears coming out full force this time. _"That's mean! That's really mean! Who asked for your opinion?"_

_"I don't want Piers and you avoiding each other," _Felix snapped. It just barely registered in my mind that Felix wanted the two of us to remain friends. _"So don't go around asking about stupid things, ok?"_

_"You're so insensitive!" _I shouted. I turned, and fled. _"I _hate _you! I hope you drown in a river and a boulder falls on top of you and kills you!"_ I cried out in the distance. After racing through the forest as fast as I could, I reached my secret spot. I collapsed and just sobbed. It was only later that I realized that if Felix drowned, a boulder could not possibly kill him.

The next day I apologized to Felix, and told him I didn't mean what I said about him dying. I also apologized to Piers, and told him I really didn't want him to be my boyfriend. The day after that day, I felt perfectly fine, and my life continued to go as it had been before. When I was younger, I really had an awful lot of tantrums…

* * *

I awoke from my dream –or rather, flashback- to find that I was back in Menardi's bedroom. She had left the day she had come back. I wasn't sure why, and I decided not to push my luck and ask about it.

_Day three._ The thought struck me hard. It was the third day I had come into Saturos's place. That meant that I would leave this day. I moaned and rolled my face into my pillow. Being sold like some slave was not my idea of a good time. Even though Menardi and Saturos were scary, and Isaac was weird, I didn't want to change locations. Here was better than anywhere else, right? Isaac had said Hammet was a good man… er, Slate, but I wasn't very sure of that.

A timid knock sounded from outside the door. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore it. Maybe the person… Slate… thing… would go away if I ignored it. The knock sounded again; this time louder.

"Unnng," I growled. "Who is it?" I forced myself awake and halfway sat up on the bed.

"Jenna?" Isaac's voice called out from the other side. "Can I come in?"

"Heck no," I extracted myself from the bed. "I just woke up. You don't want to come in. What did you want?" I made my way to where the vanity was, and began to preen slightly. I wiped the sleepers from my eyes, and brushed my hair while sitting on a chair.

"Today's the day you're leaving…" Isaac began.

"I know," I replied, still brushing my hair.

"…and there's still a few things that need to be done before you go to Hammet's."

"Such as?" I questioned.

"Such as… well, if I can come in, I'll show you one of them."

"Alright," I sighed, and put the brush down. "Then hurry up and come in already."

The door creaked open, and I turned to watch it. Isaac stood in the doorframe, with a white dress draped over his shoulder. I arched my eyebrow at him.

"What's that for?" I pointed at the dress.

"This? I-it's for you," Isaac stammered slightly. He took the dress to the bed, and laid it down.

"I didn't think it was for you," I snorted. "I meant, why are you giving me a dress?"

"It's a… ceremonial dress, so to speak." Isaac walked back to the doorframe, but did not exit out of it.

"Ceremonial? Ooh… that makes things so much clearer," I said sarcastically.

Isaac turned to look at me. His eyes held mild confusion. "What I mean is…" He struggled for words. "Hammet has a better chance of taking you if you look good."

"Oh, I see," I nodded my head. "So basically it's like the wrapping paper that covers the gift, is that it?" My voice was low. I was pretty upset about having to leave, and sarcasm was my defense mechanism.

"Yea," Isaac forced himself to smile. "It's like the… wait, what?" He caught himself, but his smile vanished. "No, no; Jenna, I didn't mean it like that…"

"Oh, ok," I nodded my head again. "So you meant that I don't look good, but this dress will make up for it, right?"

"What…? No… Jenna, I didn't mean that at all…" Isaac trailed off. "What's with you?" He finally asked after a moment of silence. "I mean, yesterday you were so… different…"

I turned away from Isaac and bowed my head. I glared at the wood on the vanity. What would become of me…? Would I truly work until death? Worse yet… would I be brainwashed, like Isaac? The Slates… they were evil. If only Felix hadn't lost! What was he thinking? How could he do this? We were so close to victory… and this would be nothing but a bad dream. What about Piers? He could have stopped the Slates! Or… maybe he had planned this all along…

Isaac's sigh interrupted my thoughts. He left through the door, and I turned my head to watch him leave.

"Isaac…" I whispered, but he did not hear me. "Isaac," I called out again; louder this time. I heard the footsteps returning, and Isaac was back. I gulped, and suddenly felt foolish for calling him back. I didn't want to go away… if only he could come with me.

"Will we ever see each other again?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Isaac smiled genuinely this time, and leaned against the doorframe. "Is that what's been bothering you?"

I couldn't respond. I was unable to return Isaac's gaze.

"Tell you what…" Isaac continued. "Let's make a promise, ok?"

I nodded my head once, still feeling mute.

"If you do get into Hammet's home, we'll still come see each other. At the far eastern side of the palace, there is a balcony that overlooks the garden. I know a way to sneak into the garden. While the sun sets, whenever I can, I'll go into the garden. Then, we can meet and talk to each other there. How's that?" Isaac finished.

"That… that'd be wonderful," I finally found my voice, and felt a little bit relieved. However… "But when I come to the palace, I will know nobody. Do you have any… human… friends there? I would… like to speak to someone," I admitted. "I think I'd be unable to talk normally to a Slate."

"Well…" Isaac mused. "My best friend works at Hammet's palace. His name is Garet. He's a guard, usually stationed at the southern palace entrance. I bet he'd talk to you."

"A… guard?" I repeated, frowning slightly. Why on Weyard… oh… whoops… Why would Slates allow a human to guard the palace?

"Haha," Isaac laughed, as if to answer my unsaid question. "It's a long story. Why don't you ask him about it sometime? Oh, yea… he probably won't talk to you unless you tell him that you know me."

"Alright," I nodded my head, and relief flooded my soul. "Thank you so much, Isaac. I'll ask him about it sometime. Now," I pointed to the door. "Get out of this room. I'll put the dress on."

Isaac was already standing in the doorframe, so he just grabbed the door and closed it. Once I heard his footsteps receding, I walked to my bed where the white dress lay. I changed out of my clothes and into the dress.

Glancing in the vanity mirror, I was pleased to find that the dress complemented my mahogany hair. A wild thought suddenly struck my head, and I imagined that Isaac had quite a different idea when he had said, 'ceremonial dress.' Perhaps the Slates intended to use me for some strange, foreign ritual… like the ones where a maiden dresses in white before sacrificing herself to some strange, exotic creature.

I shook my head, as if to rid the thought. Of course the Slates wouldn't do something like that. If Isaac thought they were going to sacrifice me, he'd come and rescue me. Probably. Well, I hoped so. He seemed awfully cowardly at times.

I returned my attention back to the mirror. Even if I didn't like the idea of being sold, the event was inevitable. If I refused to get ready, Isaac or Saturos would probably come in and dress me up by themselves… I paled at that thought. _That_, above all else, must be prevented.

Next was my hair. I brushed my hair back, so that my part became invisible. Using a nearby white scrunchie, I put my hair in a ponytail. My bangs were too short to pull back, but I decided that they looked fine outside of the ponytail, anyway.

Last would have been make up… but… I did not have any with me. There could have been some in the bathroom, but I decided that Menardi would not enjoy me digging through and using her stuff.

I rubbed my chin, feeling for the bump. The bruise was gone and it no longer swelled. If I looked very hard, I could still see a red mark, however. The more I looked at it, the more it became visible. Sighing in frustration, I finally decided that it wasn't all _that _obvious, and the only reason I could see it was because I knew it was there.

Raising myself from the chair, I exited Menardi's room. I traveled in the hallway until I reached the staircase. Peering over the edge, I half expected to see Isaac at the bottom. He always seemed to be freakishly near me. I never could tell if it was because he was stalking me, or if it was just part of his job. However, he was not at the bottom, and I faltered. What to do? Isaac was always giving me commands. Without him… I felt… lost.

My temper flared, and I berated myself for such feelings. For crying out loud, I didn't need anyone to tell me what and what not to do. I had only been here for three days, and yet I was already being brainwashed and following commands without questioning?

Faking confidence, I stepped down the stairs until I reached an open room. I passed underneath the stair's arch, and found myself in some sort of dining room and kitchen combined. What I saw next was somewhat shocking for me. Saturos was washing dishes!

He was humming some song that I didn't recognize. There was a dish in one hand, and a cloth in another. Enthusiastically rubbing the dish, Saturos didn't even notice that there were soapsuds behind his ears. Saturos's back was turned towards me, so he did not know I was there.

I awkwardly stood in the room, unsure of what I should do. Never before had I seen Slates do such menial tasks. Perhaps I had always pictured them forcing us to do all the work. Although if Slates truly are so similar to humans, then I suppose I shouldn't have been all that surprised.

Saturos set the dish down on the counter, before removing the bubbles from his ears. Halfway turning, Saturos finally saw me. "Oh, you're ready?" He smiled. I'm sure his smile was meant to show that he wished no ill of me, but it actually intimidated me more. His teeth were sharp and long; those of a carnivore's.

I meekly nodded my head in response, although I wasn't exactly sure what I was ready for. Perhaps he was talking about Hammet's palace. If that was the case, I wanted to get the event done as quickly as possible.

"Oh, really?" Saturos continued. "Isaac wanted to show you around town before we let go of you, though. After all, you haven't been able to see very much of anything outside of this house. It might be good for you! Fresh air is healthy."

Around town? Was Isaac allowed to do that? Saturos seemed perfectly fine with it. "Um…" I hesitated, before continuing. "Where exactly is Isaac?"

Saturos's smile faded. "I thought he was supposed to be upstairs, with you…"

As if to prove Saturos's words, Isaac came down the stairs and entered the kitchen. He looked at me first, and his eyes lingered for a split second more than what they were supposed to. Then he turned to Saturos, and Isaac nodded his head.

"Ok," Isaac began. "Looks like everything is ready."

"Yea," Saturos agreed. "I'll meet you at the entrance of Mia's bakery at noon."

Isaac turned to me and smiled. "Jenna, we're going to see the town for a little bit. Stay close to me, ok? It's easy to get lost."

I nodded my head.

* * *

Struggling through the crowds, I bitterly berated myself for getting distracted. Although I had only turned my eyes away from Isaac for a second, we had gotten separated. Well, ok, maybe it was more than a second, but the point is that I was lost. The crowds were mainly filled with humanized Slates, which frightened me. Who knew what could happen? There didn't seem to be any normal humans. True that Isaac was human, but I don't think he could have been classified as normal. Either way, I couldn't find him, and I was too timid to ask a monster for directions.

The town was the equivalence of Weyard's cities. Or at least, before Weyard was decimated by war. The town –Yalak, I think Isaac once called it- was full of Slates. The Slates seemed to be either shopping, doing an errand, or just partying. I felt very small and foreign; I knew that this was a place I didn't belong to.

It was, however, rather fascinating to watch the different Slates. Some of them had purple hair, others had blue hair, and still others had pale blond hair. Their eyes were azure, purple, or red. Their skin -or scales- were either vibrant or pale and pasty.

As I watched the Slates go about their normal day activities, one particular Slate caught my eye. His back was turned to me, but he had blue hair. He also wore clothes very similar to someone I knew very well…

"Piers!" I shouted, my heart filling with an overwhelming sense of joy and relief. I struggled through the crowd of Slates and managed to come behind him. "Piers!" I said again, my smile so wide that it nearly did not fit across my face. I reached out my hand to tap my old friend on the shoulder. As I made contact with the blue-haired man, he turned around. I nearly had a heart attack as I stared into cool, blue eyes.

This… this was not Piers! My smile vanished and my face was filled with horror. I recoiled from the Slate, and uttered a hasty apology. I was about to turn and leave, but the Slate placed his hand on me and held me fast.

"Hm…" He mused, his voice as sweet and sickly as poisoned honey. "A human girl, are you?" His voice made me involuntarily shudder. As I tried to back away, his hand only grasped me tighter.

"I-I…" I stuttered. My hand reached out to try and pry off his own hand. His skin was cool to the touch, and was as cold as his eyes. "Please forgive me!" I apologized again. "I thought you were someone else."

"No need to apologize," the man whispered, and pulled me a little closer. "After all, I should really thank you… To whom do you belong to?"

"B-Belong to?" I gasped. "I belong to no one!" I glared fiercely at him. Who did he think he was?

"I see," the blue-haired one nodded his head. "Then I don't suppose anyone would… mind…"

"Mind?" I felt my temper rising. "Mind what?"

A swirl of water enveloped us, and I began to panic. "What are you doing?" I shrieked. "Let me go!"

The water had created a shield around us. Everything seemed to go white for a second, before the world returned. However, we were not in the same place we had been in before. We were still in the city, or so I assumed, but now we were in an alley. This did not bode well.

"Help!" I screamed, although the chances that anyone would help me were slim. My mouth was quickly covered with a hand, stifling any other cries I might have made. The other Slate's eyes glowed strangely, as though he was demonic. "Mmph," I whimpered as my heart raced.

"Sh…" The Slate murmured, his voice completely calm. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said quietly. Although his voice sounded sincere, I wasn't sure how much I could trust his words. "Let us get acquainted," he smiled. "I am Alex. What shall I call you?" He moved his hand off my mouth slowly.

"Jenna," I whispered back, debating about whether or not I should scream again.

"An Adept, are you?" Alex's voice was completely natural, but my mind froze at his question.

"Uh… um…" I tried to stall for time. This was definitely not my idea of having a good time. Alex's body was pressed up against mine. I was already pressed up against the wall as far as I could go, but I still felt Alex inching ever closer to mine.

When I didn't respond, Alex did something completely unexpected: he closed his eyes and kissed me on the lips. My already wide eyes became even larger. I struggled to extract myself from him, but he was too strong. Psynergy was not an option, because we were so close that I would only burn myself.

"Get… away… from her…" A familiar voice growled.

Alex's eyes flew open, and he released me. I ran away from him and towards the source of the other voice: Isaac. He was just the one I wanted to see. Isaac was here to save me…

Alex glared at my rescuer. "You…" Alex began. His eyes were nothing but slits, but his voice sounded perfectly calm. "You work for Saturos. Stay out of this. It's none of your business."

"I'm afraid it is," Isaac replied levelly. "The girl is with me."

I glanced at Isaac, wondering what he meant by his words. Was he referring to the fact that I was Saturos's property, or did he mean that I was his girlfriend? Either way was incorrect.

Alex looked as though he would attack us. His eyes bored into Isaac, before changing to look at me. Bravely, I continued to hold his gaze, refusing to break. Finally, Alex shifted his eyes. I thought that he would attack us, but instead, he teleported in a flash of water.

I sighed, happy that Isaac had come just in time. I grabbed the cloth on Isaac's chest, and pulled him a little closer. "Thank you very much," I whispered. "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there."

The ice blue eyes… the ones I had always perceived to be cold… Suddenly, Isaac's eyes seemed warm. He grinned at me, and placed both of his hands on my outstretched hand. Carefully, as though I were made of glass, Isaac put my hand down, although he refused to let go of it. His face came closer to mine, and his lips touched mine. My heart began to race again, and my eyes once again became wide.

The questions I had of how he had found me, and where we were headed next, suddenly vanished from my mind. The only thing that I could process was the fact that _Isaac _was kissing _me_. My heart leapt in my throat, and wild emotions began to clutter my mind. My surroundings became hazy, and I could only see Isaac.

And as quickly as Isaac's kiss came, it left. His eyes opened and he pulled himself away from me. He stared at me, and I could only do the same to him. I vaguely recalled that I was still wearing my white dress, which was an odd thing to think at such a time.

"I'm sorry," Isaac finally apologized, his voice husky and unusually deep. "I shouldn't have done that." He broke our gaze and turned his back, and from where I stood, I could feel his embarrassment. "Follow me, and don't get lost this time… We should go and meet back with Saturos."

Isaac began to walk away. My mind screamed for him to come back. My mind howled to Isaac about how much I truly appreciated what he had done. What Isaac had done needed no apology. Yet instead, no words came forth. I just stood there… dumbly. Subconsciously, my feet followed his steps, but no more words passed between us.

* * *

A/N: Yea, I know it's been a while, people. Sorry! The good news is, however, that finals are over, and so is school! I am… so happy… Expect updates to come faster.

I looked back at chapter 5 and hated it. I will probably rewrite it sometime. Icky. Sorry.

I forgot to mention this the previous chapter. "Yalak" is backwards of "Kalay." Come on, people, didn't you see that? Do you think I make funky names up by myself? Well, maybe I do, but not in this story.

Next chapter: Lucky chapter 7: Shattering. Isaac rescues Jenna from the Slates' planet, and the two go back to Weyard. Miracously Weyard is recovering, and humans and Adepts have rebuilt everything. Ivan gets the power of the Golden Sun and uses it to take over the Slates' world. Then, Ivan uses its power to revive Felix, and Jenna is happy. And the world lived happily ever after.

Felix: Yay! I'm alive!

Ivan: Yes! I rule the world!

What the…! I don't have muses. Who are you? …And besides, I was being sarcastic. That doesn't happen at all. Felix, you're supposed to be dead…

Felix and Ivan: Aw…

((Felix dies again))

Anyway… I took Gam3… the guy with a really long time… I took his suggestion of having Isaac save Jenna. Well, I also took a poll with what makes a good romance story, and 3/3 people agreed that the guy should save the girl sometime, but not like the girl's just sitting there doing nothing and waiting for guy to save her. Whew! That was a long sentence.

Acknowledgments: Camelot and Nintendo own Golden Sun, while Razorsoft and Sega own the Slates. YA! I own the plot. Lucky me.


	7. Shattering

Quick A/N: ((points to category)) Omg! The category is angst! What trickery is this? (cough) Yea. Someone has to flame me for this chapter.

I updated sort of fast (for me, anyway). Please make sure that before reading this you have read chapter 6… Otherwise some things won't have as great of an impact. Thank you.

Hope

Chapter 7: Shattering

Saturos was already waiting for us in front of the bakery. To be completely honest, I was actually glad that he was. Standing alone with Isaac would have been an awfully uncomfortable situation. Neither of us had completely recovered from the past events. Isaac's cheeks contained a mild tint of red, as did mine.

Saturos must have not noticed. He was occupied with staring at a list, muttering unintelligible words. The two of us went unnoticed until we were literally beside him. After Isaac had tapped him on the shoulder, Saturos folded the piece of paper and looked at us. "Ready?"

I thought that I'd never be completely ready, but I couldn't just say that."I think so." I forced myself to speak. I had to get my thoughts off past Isaac… and Alex. Oh, who was I kidding. Alex might have shaken me up, but Isaac had knocked me off my feet. A dreadful silence came between all of us. Saturos seemed not to mind, but Isaac and I were practically drowning. "Is there anything else that I should know?" I finally forced myself to say.

Saturos shook his head. "Just do what we do. You'll be behind me when we walk in the throne room. King Hammet might ask you a question… If he does, just answer normally. And if you have to use his name, address him by King or Master." Well, there was no chance that I'd call him Master.

"Alright…" I took a deep breath. Calming thoughts. What was I afraid of, anyway? What was the worst thing that could happen? _Concubine. _Oh, shut up. That won't happen. "I'm ready."

"Right," Saturos replied, although he did not move. We stood there for a few seconds, and I gazed at Saturos in question. Saturos in turn glanced at Isaac. Isaac was staring at the wall. "…Wasn't there something you wanted to say before she left?" Saturos hinted to Isaac.

"Huh?" Isaac snapped back to reality. His eyes met Saturos's, before shifting to meet mine, and then went back to Saturos. Isaac just shook his head.

Saturos arched his eyebrows, obviously amused, although he chose not to pursue it. "Right," he repeated. "Well, anyway," Saturos turned to me. His red eyes sparkled and he showed his fangs (smiled) at me. He placed his two arms around my shoulders, and my eyes widened. I was unable to return his casual demeanor. "It was nice to meet you," he began. All I could recall was how we had met, and also how Saturos had literally dragged me away from my brother. The Slate's hands clasping my shoulders did not bring back fond memories, to say the least. "I hope you'll do well. After this, it's goodbye… Assuming that King Hammet will take care of you."

"Um… goodbye," I nodded my head, forcing myself not to fling Saturos's hands off of me. Saturos did retract his arms by himself after I spoke, however. When he had done so, I turned to Isaac. "Goodbye, Isaac…"

Isaac refused to look me in the eye. "Bye…" He said softly. I noticed that he refrained from saying 'good' bye.

Part of me was glad that Isaac did not want me to leave. The other part of me was angry that he was not even giving me a proper sendoff. If he wanted me to stay, why didn't he say something to Saturos? Perhaps that was what Saturos was hinting before. If so, he would have surely listened… Then again, maybe I'm assuming too many things.

The three of us began to walk towards the palace, which was not very far away. I was both apprehensive and excited. It seemed strange that I was to meet Yalak's ruler…

* * *

The palace was huge. Well, of course a palace would be, but it was larger than what I expected it to be. The bricks were purple and gold, which clearly stated royalty. Two guards, one on each side of the entrance, were completely expressionless. Their faces were forward, and their eyes did not meet ours. However, we passed through them without an incident, so I assumed that Saturos had informed them of our presence. Isaac had mentioned his friend was a human guard, but these defenders were definitely Slates.

We passed through numerous hallways. Each one was huge and gave more space than what was required. There were a few Slates passing through the halls. Each Slate always stopped in their tracks and turned to stare at us; or rather, me. I thought that perhaps they had never seen a human before, or maybe it was rare for a human to enter the palace. But if that was the case, why did they not stare at Isaac? It made me very uneasy…

At last we came before a golden double-door that had been wrought by giants. The dull noise of talking could be heard from the other side. Saturos paused and turned to the two of us. "I'll go in first," he whispered. "Then when I call for you, both of you come in." Without waiting for our response, Saturos pushed the doors open, as though they weighed nothing more than a feather. They closed behind him, and I merely got a glimpse of the other side. It seemed as though there were a great deal of humanized Slates in there, but I did not have enough time to see everything in the room.

The talking immediately grew silent. I strained my ears as I heard Saturos begin to speak – thankfully in my own language. "My lord," Saturos began. I cast a side glance at Isaac. Why did he say nothing to me?

"I wish to congratulate you on the victory against Weyard…" Our planet may be gone but its people are not. So long as we live there is no true defeat. Until our spirits are crushed there will be no victory against us… dang it! I really shouldn't have been thinking such thoughts at a time as this…

"…and to remember this event, I would like to give you a present." So, I was right. Saturos and Isaac considered me nothing but a present to give to Hammet. Grr…

"She is one of the Adepts of Weyard. She is pure, and has remained untouched." I'll say. If the King thinks he could make me into a concubine, he'd better think again. "Her beauty is practically unrivaled among her people. The same goes to say even within our community." Truly? I had no idea Saturos thought that. If I did become a concubine and bore a child, what would the child be? Human? Slate? Something in-between? I shudder to think…

A hand touched my shoulder and interrupted my musings. I turned my head to see its owner. It was Isaac. He was smiled slowly; sadly at me. I returned the smile in the same way.

"May I now show you… Jenna, of Weyard," Saturos finished.

Isaac opened the doors, so that I could walk through. There was a red carpet on the floor, and the only other one standing on it was Saturos. Slates lined each side of the carpet, and my eyes shifted from each face in the crowd. Finally I lifted my eyes forward, seeing to whom I was walking towards. There, upon a throne, sat Hammet. Unlike the other Slates I had seen, Hammet had brown hair and eyes. He also possessed a very long mustache… I couldn't help but wonder if the mustache remained on his face if he were to turn into his dragon form.

Next to Hammet, on a smaller yet similar throne, was his wife. She also defied the classic Slate, for her hair was red. However her eyes were the same red demon eyes as most Slates. She was surely oblivious to my thoughts, as her eyes rested upon me. They were angry eyes… I did not know why she was angry. I tore my gaze from hers, and instead my eyes fell upon the plaque attached to the pedestal of her throne. It read: _Lady Layana, most beloved wife of King Hammet._

I shifted my eyes to Hammet, and found that he was staring at me, too. He was not angry, like his wife, but he was still staring nonetheless. Unable to take such attention, I returned my eyes to the line of Slates, but they were staring at me, too. My heart began to pound in my ears. Was I doing something wrong? Surely I had offended someone… or something… someway or another… Why were they all staring?

Finally, when I thought I was close enough to Hammet, but was still some distance away, I stopped walking. I lowered my eyes respectively, unsure of how to act, but quickly raised them again in curiosity.

"Wow…" Hammet breathed. He grin suddenly overcame his face, and he turned to look at Layana. She returned his glance in anger. Immediately Hammet removed his smile, coughed, and turned his head back to look at me again.

A second of silence passed between everyone, but the sound of a boy's voice interrupted it. "Master Hammet." It was nothing but a child's voice. Everyone turned their heads to the source. Not far from Layana, stood a Slate child. He had pale blond hair, and purple eyes befitting that of his kind. In Weyard, he could have passed as someone only ten years old, although since Slates are older than what they appear, he was probably older than me. His eyes were riveted upon me.

"Master Hammet," he repeated again, this time loud enough so that even those towards the entrance could hear. "I want her." Strange words. What could he mean?

Evidently Hammet was thinking the same thing. He coughed, before speaking. "Ivan..." He began, and I noted that this was the one whom Isaac had told me to watch out for. "She is not a plaything."

"I know," he replied. He began to shake his head. "That is not what I meant. What I meant is…" he hesitated a second, before coming out with it. "I want her… as my wife."

I gagged at the same time the crowd became a roar. The entire court went insane. I turned around, not caring that I might offend the king. In the midst of all those in the room, my eyes locked with Isaac's, and I saw only him. His eyes were wider than what I had ever seen. He had not expected this to happen, either. I called out his name, but my voice was drowned in the sea of noise.

In the midst of the chaos, Hammet called out, "order. _Order,_ I say!" And the Slates finally quieted down. I turned around back to Hammet, just in time to see that he was looking at Layana again. My eyes met hers also, and I finally understood why her eyes blazed so. She was jealous. Hammet knew this too.

"Very well," Hammet nodded his head, returning to the room. "Tomorrow at sunset, there shall be a wedding that binds both my firstborn son Ivan and Jenna of Weyard together." For you see, even a child can command a king, when there is jealousy in the king's wife.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Such a thing had never been heard of before. A human girl that would become a princess of Slates? One who had originally entered the world through slavery? It was unbelieavable.

It was even more unbelievable due to the fact that it was happening to me. I would have never guessed this. Not in a million years.

Felix had told me not to worry.

I had doubted him.

I was wrong.

But being with Ivan would mean I would have to bid farewell to anything I ever had with Isaac.

Perhaps this would offer someway to help my people, though. If that was the case, I should be happy… Right? I should... be happy… right, Felix?

* * *

I was to stay at the palace. Not as a slave… but as a guest. Tomorrow I would wed Ivan. Thank goodness the Slates provided me with a separate room. I don't think I could have slept in the same room as Ivan. He still looked like a ten year old to me… even if he was really older.

The sun was setting, and I found myself racing through each of the rooms and hallways, while at the same time trying to make it look as though I was not running. Most of the Slates had already left after they congratulated both me and Ivan.

I hadn't forgotten the promise Isaac and I made.

In the maze of a palace, I finally did manage to find the balcony that overlooked the garden. The sun was setting behind the palace, which made me realize that the sun went east to west in this world, too. This was good, for I could scan the area below me without trouble. As I intently checked every corner of the garden, I was shocked when I heard a soft voice behind me.

"Hi…" It was barely a whisper. I whipped around to find that it was my fiancé. "Are you… alright?" His eyes were soft yet piercing. I felt as though my very heart and soul was being searched. Isaac had mentioned that it was no use lying to this kid.

"I just need a little alone time," I whispered back, pushing the strange invasion feeling away. "I am… sorry."

"Alright…" The boy nodded his head and closed his eyes. "I understand…" And he turned around and left. For this, I was thankful. If he were to find Isaac…

Yes… Isaac. I turned back and began searching for him again. The sun kept going lower and lower, but I paid it no heed. My heart began to go down like the sun. It had become so dark that I could no longer see anything below me. Dejectedly, I turned around, and began to walk towards my room.

Isaac was just busy this day. It would be hard to sneak in after all that commotion at the palace today, anyway. I wouldn't be able to see him tomorrow, as the wedding would take place during the sunset. But after that I could see him.

Yes, I'd see him in two days.

I believed that. I had to believe that…

* * *

A/N: Hi. This is really a JennaXIvan fic. Yea, so, Ivan and Jenna are my two favorite GS characters, so I figured, 'hey! Why don't I make the two of them get hitched?' (cough) No, not really. Well, they are my favorite characters, but... all that other stuff was a lie.

Someone flame me for this chapter, pleeease? I'll flame myself otherwise. This chapter was sad. Ngh. Dang it.

But don't flame Ivan! Ivan is not evil. I love Ivan. Why'd he have to marry Jenna? Why'd I write it? Darn it. Oh well. I tried to warn everyone without giving away the plot. Oh, I guess technically they aren't married yet, huh...

Does IvanXJenna even have a name? I searched and no IvanXJenna things came up. ...Can I make up a name if there is no technical name? lol... If there is no name, someone tell me an idea, because I really would at least like them to have a name. Like Firestormshipping, or something, but that's long, so someone think of something else. ...Why AREN'T there IvanXJenna stuff out there, anyway? If there can be AlexXJenna or MiaXFelix and even WiseOneXGaret, there should, by all rights, at leastbe JennaXIvan stuff. ...I haven't even written a IvanXJenna fic yet. Maybe I should start a new trend. But I already have a different idea for a story, aw...

Oh, which brings up another question: what is KarstXFelix called? I think I'm gonna do something like that after this fic... You know, like each other in the weird, hack each other's head off, way. And Felix will die again! But he comes back. If I ever do that story.

Haha, this just goes to show you: Isaac is either evil, or gets a really crummy outcome in my stories. ...Oh shoot, I just ruined my surprise for Shadowed, didn't I? Oh well, no one reads it anyway.

Acknowledgments: Same thing, as always. Razorsoft and Sega own Slates, while Nintendo and Camelot own Golden Sun.


	8. A Dream Wedding

Quick A/N: Break out the coffee. This chapter's the longest chapter I've ever written. O.o

Hope

Chapter 8: A Dream Wedding

Once again I found myself in front of a dressing table, brushing my hair. The morning had come far too fast. Evidently it was customary for another female to help a bride pick out wedding gear. This made me grateful, for I knew virtually nothing about wedding ceremonies for the Slates.

The Slate who was helping me was kind to a fault. She was constantly talking, but in this way I learned much more of what I was to expect. Her name was Mia, and ironically, she was also the owner of the local bakery.

"Oh I just work at the palace part-time," she explained to me. "I'm usually here in case the guards get in a scuffle and need some healing. Otherwise I'm at my bakery just making goods." She smiled and laughed. She had the softest laugh I had ever heard; indeed, at first it was hard to discern when she was laughing. "You know I'll also be providing some of the pastries and bread for your reception."

It had only taken me a few seconds to warm up to Mia. Even though she was a Slate, she seemed more human than the others. Next to Piers, of course.

"Oh, really?" I replied in response to her statements. "I'm sure your food will taste wonderful…"

Mia giggled, before disappearing into my closet. "You've never even had my cooking before, I don't know how you could even believe it would taste good," her voice came out slightly muffled from behind the door. A second later she reappeared, and in her hand she held a beautiful, snow-white gown. It occurred to me that at least some part of the wedding would remain the same as Weyard.

"Oh, oh my goodness," Mia suddenly froze, her eyes widened. It looked as though she might drop the dress, but thankfully she didn't. "I am so sorry!" She apologized. I stopped brushing to turn my full attention on her. "I completely forgot," she continued. "I was supposed to tell you that you can invite any of your friends to the wedding. All you have to do is tell me which people…" Her eyes returned to their normal size and lowered to the ground. "Although…" She began, her voice suddenly low. "I am so sorry. That stupid war has probably decreased the amount of people you can invite."

"Mia…" I blinked back tears. My heart began to beat a little bit faster, in fear and hope of what she might say. "You mean to tell me that not all Slates wanted war against Weyard?"

"Absolutely not!" She cried out, her hand snapping to my direction. She nearly dropped the dress again, but remembered just in time. Calming herself, she shook her head. "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "We were very much divided. About half of the population wanted war, while the other half wanted peace. Ultimately, it was the king's decision, but…" she began to shake her head again. "Oh… we all believed he wouldn't choose war. But his vizier…" She trailed off.

"His vizier?" I pressed.

"He is nothing but a no-good traitor!" She exploded. Tears suddenly began to flow from her eyes. She dropped the wedding dress onto the bed. Her turquoise eyes became blurry. Mildly ashamed, Mia bowed her head, and allowed her blue hair to cover her eyes.

Mia was crying! I had never seen a Slate cry before. So they truly could feel exactly the same as what I felt…

"Mia…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"I'm so sorry," she forced herself to laugh. Her hands wiped the tears from her eyes. "It is just that he was not always so… strange. I used to know him personally. But as soon as King Hammet made him vizier…" She shook her head again. "In any case, the vizier seems to have even more power than King Hammet… Oh my!" Her eyes suddenly light up. "Please do not tell anyone I said that. I believe that may be considered treason. But it does seem like the vizier manipulates the king. I am worried about our country…" Mia took a deep breath and sighed. "Well, anyway…" she tried to return to lighter subjects. "Enough about politics. Please, by all means, tell me who you wish to invite."

"Hmm…" I thought. I broke into a slight smile. What would Felix say if he saw me getting married to a Slate? He'd probably break into the palace and whisk me away. What about my friends? We had been separated, but perhaps they could be found again. "Mia, I only have a few people I would like to invite. One of them is a Slate named Piers. The other two are human. One is a girl named Sheba, the other is an elderly man named Kraden. Although," I added as an afterthought. "I guess they could all be dead for all I know…" I paused, wondering if I should continue. Would Isaac come to my wedding? How strange. I could not imagine him sitting quietly as I got married to another man… er, Slate. It would seem strange to invite my captors, anyway. What if, during the ceremony, I saw Isaac, and my eyes betrayed my feelings? Could I take the risk?

"Anyone else?" Mia asked, a pen and notepad in her hands.

"Um…" I hesitated. Well, might as well take a chance. Perhaps I should invite Saturos and Isaac just to be safe. "Well, two more. One is a Slate named Saturos; he originally brought me here. The other is human; he is a friend of Saturos. His name is Isaac." Well, I guess Saturos and Isaac weren't technically _friends,_ but whatever. It was close enough.

Mia jotted the names down and nodded her head. "I think Saturos was already invited, but I can double-check that. I, uh, don't suppose you happen to know your friends' last names, would you…?"

Silly me. I had forgotten to tell Mia their last names. When we had finished, another thought entered my mind. "Oh, Mia," I realized. "You're going to be there too, right?"

"Oh yes!" She smiled. "I will certainly be there."

* * *

The wedding ceremony was much smaller than what I had expected. I stood near the alter of the church, with Ivan in front of me. While the priest was uniting us, I couldn't restrain myself from casting a side glance into the crowd. My eyes swept over the small gathering, but the faces were unfamiliar to me. 

At last my eyes fell upon someone I knew well. He looked the same as always… He was even still wearing the same clothes from the day I had first met him. A smile crept into my face, as our eyes locked. It was Piers. He hadn't aged a day.

My eyes shifted to a short blond beside him, who was nearly hidden within the crowd of Slates. I nearly screamed. It was Sheba! She was still alive! I wanted to run right out to my friends, but I knew I could not. Unlike Piers, Sheba seemed much older from the time we had been separated. Her posture, attire, and mannerism were that of a woman; she was no longer the girl I had known.

Delighted that my friends had made it, I hoped to find that everyone else was there as well. Through the crowds, I managed to find one who claimed he would probably die. Kraden, my old teacher, was also present. The Slates had not killed him after all.

Encouraged by the fact that I had found three of my friends, I began to search for Isaac. My eyes did happen to find Saturos, along with his wife Menardi, but Isaac was nowhere near them. My heart fell slightly. Perhaps Isaac had decided not to come after all. It would be a little awkward. The least he could do was support me, though…

But Isaac wouldn't just… abandon me, right? He could be a little stupid sometimes, yea, but he was smart enough to know I needed him. Especially at a time like this…

What was I thinking? Of course Isaac would be there.

My eyes fell closer to the aisle, still searching for the blond. The small smile that had appeared on my face quickly vanished. I nearly screamed again, but this time not from joy. There was a pair of golden orbs that I recognized.

Alex.

He was staring right at me, a smug smile placed upon his face that I did not enjoy. How the heck was a pervert like him invited to my wedding?

Although I knew he had seen me, I pretended not to have noticed. I quickly switched my full attention back to Ivan. Our ceremony was almost done, and he was finishing the last touches, so to speak. In his hands, he held a large sword. The sword was almost bigger than Ivan, and he was having trouble wielding it. After he had a somewhat firm grasp on it, Ivan brought it down to the floor, on top of a clay pot filled with wine. The fragile clay shattered, and the wine spilled onto the floor. This was the Slates' symbol of marriage; the fact that the man had chosen his wife over earthly materials, such as wine.

Personally, I didn't think killing a pot containing wine was all that bad. Heck, I didn't even drink wine; it would have been harder to smash a bowl full of potato chips. This marriage wasn't exactly for love –at least not for me- so I just might end up choosing the potato chips over Ivan. Well, except there was no part for me to voice my opinion in the matter. Whether this was a good or bad thing I still haven't decided.

The people in the audience erupted into cheers. Ivan and I took each other's hands and began to walk down the aisle. It just seemed so _weird _and unreal; like a dream. I had heard of dream weddings, but this was ridiculous.

The two of us went straight past Alex, who was on my side of the aisle. Involuntarily I stiffened, but thankfully he had enough sense not to try and put his hands on me. Too bad he couldn't have controlled himself the other day.

At least the wedding was over. That only left the reception, and this dream… nightmare… whatever the heck you want to call it, would be over. Besides, at least I could see my friends at the reception. Maybe I'd just missed Isaac and hadn't found him. He would certainly be there.

* * *

It runs out that wedding receptions are not all that different between ours and the Slates. The only difference was that the food was not to be touched until the King himself had started eating. The party contained everyone from the wedding ceremony; even the priest. As soon as guests entered, I literally ran to my friends. "Sheba! Piers!" I squealed. I catapulted myself between the two, and hugged them both. 

They both began to laugh, and I joined in with them. "It has been far too long, Jenna," Piers grinned, and extracted himself from my grasp.

"Yea," Sheba agreed. I allowed her to pull away. "I can't believe this..."

"What happened to you both?" I demanded. "And Piers, why did you leave so suddenly? We could at least have said goodbye…" I recalled his sudden departure.

Piers shook his head. "I would have liked to, but unfortunately, events occurred rather fast…"

"Jenna, you wouldn't believe what happened," Sheba began, her voice full of excitement. "You remember that tournament in Weyard, right? Well, I was sitting right next to the human and Slate divider section. And… guess… who… I… found!"

"It was a real miracle," Piers shook his head.

"We looked for you, too," suddenly Sheba's face became downcast. Her eyes averted to the floor. "But there was so much chaos… To be honest, we sort of thought you died."

"I was next to Felix..." I murmered.

"Felix…" Now it was Piers who refused to meet my gaze. "So, he really is…?"

I forced myself to nod my head once. "Saturos found me," I explained.

"Saturos!" Piers's head shot up. "How ironic. He's sort of famous, you know."

"Famous?" My eyebrows furrowed slightly. Since when was he famous?

"His wife is the sister of… er…" Piers stumbled.

"Sister of who?" Isaac had also said something about Menardi being the sister of someone. He never did finish. Why did no one want to tell me?

Piers laughed nervously. "Never mind. You'll probably find out one day, anyway."

"Jenna! Sheba!" A voice interrupted us. All of us turned to see Kraden making his way towards us. "And…" As he came closer, he noticed Piers. "You!" He gasped.

"Yes, indeed; me," Piers smiled uncertainly. "If you do not remember, I am-"

"Piers!" Kraden interrupted. "I was merely surprised to see you; that's all!"

"Kraden! You're alive!" I grinned. "As you can see, no need to give me detention."

"Yes, too true. As it turns out, the Slates were very interested in alchemy, so I naturally decided to help," the spectacles on his nose rose slightly as he smiled. "I'm glad you're doing well, as it seems. Now then," his attention turned to Piers. "I have many things I would like to ask you, young man. One of which is the elemental stars…"

"Elemental stars?" Piers was still wearing his uncertain smile.

Sheba grinned and shook her head at the two. "Let's leave the boys to play," she said, and guided me into a less crowded section of the reception party.

I guess Sheba hadn't changed as much as I thought. Whenever she led me away from the mainstream of people, it always meant she wanted to talk about one thing: boys. "So," she whispered, her eyes darting to the crowd, making sure they weren't to close. "How is he?"

"Who?" I pretended not to know. It was always one of Sheba's pet peeves. "Piers? I am glad to see him again. He seems the same as always. Or did you mean Kraden? He-"

"No, silly!" She sputtered. "I meant the prince guy. What's-his-name. Ivan? I heard it was sort of marriage without your agreement."

I shrugged. I really didn't _want _to marry Ivan, but if it allowed me to help the people of Weyard more… Well, then I'd be willing to make a few sacrifices. Perhaps I would be able to convince the king that humans deserved to be as free as Slates. Maybe the Slates would come to realize our similarities while watching me. And the Slates would be watching me; from what I understood, there had never been a fully human princess before. I was still getting used to the idea that I was now a princess. From captivity to royalty. My life just kept getting stranger.

"I really don't know him. He seems like just a… kid. I'm still sort of getting used to the idea," I admitted.

"Hm…" Sheba mused. "I think I understand."

"Really?" It just didn't seem like something Sheba would say. I glared at her suspiciously.

"Yea. There's another man!" She declared.

I nearly fell over onto the floor. "Wh-wh-what?"

"How romantic!" Her eyes glazed over. She spread her arms out, and stared at the ceiling, as if speaking to an invisible crowd. "The humans of Weyard are enslaved by terrible monsters. When all hope is lost, Jenna finds a reason to live through a certain someone. But alas, they are separated when the evil Slate prince demands the beautiful human girl's hand in marriage!" She whispered. Her eyes returned to normal as she frantically looked left and right. They finally came to rest upon a vase full of flowers, on one of the empty tables. She easily plucked the flower –it was some sort of strange flower; I know not what it was- and returned to staring at the ceiling. Her hand clasped the rose to her chest. "Desperate to see his one true love, the human man climbed the palace's walls, when… _bam!_" Her voice suddenly got louder when she said the last word, and I involuntarily jumped. "He's whacked by the guards and taken captive! His sentence is execution!"

I felt myself going pale. "Do… do not be so ridiculous!" I gasped. "There is no other man! And the prince… He is a child; not evil!" _And Isaac will not die!_ But what if he did die last night? He said he'd come! _He would not die!_

"My dear Jenna!" A silky voice interrupted. Sheba and I froze. Sheba was quizzical; I was terrified. I turned around to see the Slate I did not want to see.

"Wow," Sheba blinked. "So is this the other man? I didn't think you'd choose a Slate," she whispered in my ear.

"_Sheba!_" I gagged. "This man… this Slate… this _thing_…"

"Excuse me," Alex turned his glance to Sheba, still smiling. "But I have a present I wish to give this young lady in commemoration of her wedding."

"Ooh," Sheba nodded her head, and winked at me so that only I could catch her drift. "I see… Well, why don't I just leave you two alone for a while?"

"It would be appreciated," Alex said in such a sincere voice that it made me sick.

"No!" I shook my head. "Sheba, don't…go…" But she was already across the room, where Piers and Kraden were present.

I frowned at the Slate in front of me, and backed away slightly. "Alex," I growled.

"You remembered my name," he pretended to be surprised. "I'm flattered."

"Go flatter yourself," I shook my head. "I'm not interested in any 'present' you want to give me." Alex took a step forward, to make up for the gap between us. "Don't," I shook my head again. "I don't care how many people are here. I'll shove a punch bowl down your pants if you get any closer."

"No need to be so crude," Alex's hand pulled a wisp of his hair back. "And I'm sure you're very interested in the present I have for you."

"Actually, I'm not."

"Well then, I'm sure you will be soon." He put his right hand forward, near his face, and suddenly a scroll appeared in his hand. I blinked, wondering where the paper had come from. The scroll unrolled, but it was too far away for me to read the message.

"Wha-?" I began, but Alex suddenly stepped very close to me.

He took hold of my left arm and placed the unrolled scroll in my hand. Then he stepped back before I had a chance to protest. "Read it," he commanded me.

I glared at Alex warily, while taking the message into both of my hands to read it.

**By the Grand Vizier, with the King's consensus,**

**It has been brought to the King's attention**

**That a certain race has been plotting rebellion**

**Against the royal family, and all Slates.**

**These traitorous beings are to be exterminated**

**Upon the next night of the full moon.**

**All humans, whether they are slave or free,**

**Are to be eliminated under charge of**

**Plotting to take the throne.**

**Any who try to help the humans**

**Will suffer the same fate as them!**

The royal insignia was placed at the bottom of the letter.

I lifted my eyes to meet Alex's. "Wh…wh…wh…wha…wh…" Words would not come. I couldn't believe what I had just read.

"Farewell, _princess_," he sneered. "Even if you manage to escape just because with you're with Ivan, your entire race will die." He laughed quietly. "Do you know when the next full moon is? That's three days. I tell you this because humans oftentimes overlook details."

I picked up a nearby punch bowl on the table, but that strange, glowing, water-light once again enveloped Alex. He disappeared before I had a chance to chuck the bowl at him. I put the punch back on the table, and tried to blink back tears. I'd worked so hard to stay alive! My knees buckled, and I fell on the floor. My hand gripped the scroll. I wanted to tear it to pieces, but I knew that would not solve the problem.

I felt a soft hand on my shoulder, but I didn't look up. "There you are. What happened between you and the vizier? Jenna, are you ok?" I finally looked up to see my new husband beside me.

"Have you saved me only so that I may die?" I forced myself not to sob.

"What do you mean?" Ivan asked, obviously confused.

I unclenched my hand and gave him the scroll. Ivan took it from me, and read the message.

Alex… was the vizier? Was he the one Mia had spoke of? What had driven him to corner _me_, of all people? He certainly didn't like humans! And even though Sheba had been joking about what she said earlier… everything, so far, had come true. Would her unrealistic prophecy come true? Although, she was wrong about Ivan being evil. He was… a little strange for wanting a human wife, but not evil.

Ivan lifted his eyes from the scroll. "I can't believe Master Hammet would agree to such a thing…"

I stood up and wiped my eyes, just in time to see Sheba, Piers, and Kraden making their way towards me.

"Jenna? What did that guy say? And who was he?" Sheba asked, noticing my pale complexion.

Ivan glanced away. "He is the vizier of Master Hammet. For the past year, I have sensed that he might be after the throne, along with the Golden Sun, although I don't have enough proof to bring him in. No doubt some humans got on his bad side, and he decided to get rid of them all. I've heard that he and a certain human guard at the palace don't get along very well…"

"Golden Sun?" Kraden gasped.

"Human guard?" I interrupted, remembering Isaac's friend. "Is his name Garet, by any chance?"

Ivan nodded his head. "Yes, his name is Garet." The young Slate turned to face Kraden. "And the Golden Sun is actually just a myth here. It's said to appear after the world's been unlocked, but I have no idea what that means."

"Everyone!" I interrupted. "This is all interesting and all, but we've got a real problem here!"

"Alex, the vizier, has declared that all humans are to be killed in three days," Ivan explained, holding out the scroll for whoever wanted to take it.

Piers, Sheba, and Kraden all looked stunned. "How did he ever manage to acquire such power? A vizier does not have the right to sentence an entire race!" Piers fumed.

"What should we do?" Sheba whispered. "I guess it wouldn't be bad if only I had to die, but all of us… all humans…"

"I know." All of us turned to look at Ivan. "Jenna and I must invite Master Hammet and Alex over for dinner. Then perhaps, when the time is right, we can ask him to reconsider his ruling."

"Will it really be that simple?" I wondered. It still seemed sort of risky.

"The hardest part would be approaching the King," Piers said slowly. "No one is to approach the King unless he summons them. If someone does, they will be killed immediately. The only exception to this rule, is if the King touches the visitors with the golden scepter."

My eyes widened. "So… we could be… killed?" There was a time when I had wanted to die. Now, there were too many people I cared about. But then again, if I didn't at least try to approach the king, all the people would be killed. I took a deep breath. "We have to at least try."

"We'll pray for you," Sheba promised. Piers and Kraden nodded their heads.

Ivan pointed the way to where the King sat. His wife was not with him, and most people seemed to avoid him. They probably made that rule so that the King wouldn't be swarmed with people. It seemed to be working.

As we came closer, the King smiled a greeting at us. "Ah, Ivan," he said happily. As we came before Hammet, Ivan kneeled, so I followed his lead and did the same. I felt the cold metal of his scepter on my shoulder, and saw Ivan rise out of the corner of my eye. Once again, I followed him, hoping that I would not make a mistake.

"And the lovely lady Jenna," he turned his gaze to me, still smiling. I could not believe that the King would issue such a condemning law against the humans. "What is it that you want? Even if it is half the kingdom, I shall give it to you."

Ivan gave me a side glance. I gulped nervously. Despite the King's words, I knew I couldn't just ask for anything. Alex was the Grand Vizier; the King's right-hand man. Telling Hammet that his appointed man was nothing but a weasel was easier said than done. If he chose not to believe me…

"My lord," I began, praying that I would say the necessary words. "I was wondering… if…" My eyes fell to the food. "If… you and your Grand Vizier would care to join my husband and me tomorrow night for dinner?" The words fell from my mouth before I even had time to think. I was a little shocked at what I had said myself. It was as if someone else were speaking for me.

The King raised his eyebrows. "That's very nice of you, but there's no need." He gestured to the food on the table. "As you can see, I already have loyal Slates who serve the best-"

A Slate nearby suddenly collapsed on the floor. His turquoise eyes had filmed over, and the female Slate next to him screamed. "He's dead!" She yelled. Immediately chaos ensued.

Ivan and I exchanged glances. What was going on?

"Everyone be quiet!" The King tried to yell above the crowd. "_Shut up!_" He screeched, and that made everyone stop talking. "Now then. Does anyone know for sure what happened?"

"My King, if I may..?" Piers took a step forward.

"Go ahead," the King nodded his head to Piers.

"I saw that Slate sneaking a cupcake and a few sips of the punch," Piers explained. An audible gasp arouse from the crowd. For you see, the King had not eaten yet, and for anyone else to start before him was strictly taboo. "The food –or drink- is obviously poisoned." Some of the Slates near the table full of food edged away from it.

The King's eyebrows furrowed. "Hm…" He turned his attention back to me and Ivan. "Perhaps I will take you up on your offer." Coughing slightly, the King went back to addressing the crowd. "Who was in charge of the pastries and drinks? I demand to see them at once!"

As if on cue, the doors burst open, and a red haired human dragged two Slates towards the King. This human was incredibly tall. He even appeared to be taller due to the fact that his hair stood against gravity. He must have been incredibly strong, for in each hand, he held a Slate. In his left hand, I recognized Mia. In his right hand was a different Slate I had never seen before. He had green skin, fuzzy white hair, and red eyes.

"My lord!" The human called out, and roughly shoved the two on their faces before the king. "These two were acting suspicious when I asked them a few questions about their recipes! This one," he pointed his finger at the green male. "Is Agatio. He was placed in charge of the drinks; punch, wine, water, all that stuff. And this one," he changed to point at Mia. "Is Mia. She was in charge of baked goods. Both of them have tons of people under them to make the food. I overheard two Slates speaking of a plot to assassinate the King!"

An immediate buzz started around the Slates again, and the tall red-haired human had to shout to be heard. "When I interrogated them, one pledged allegiance to Mia, and the other to Agatio! Obviously, either Mia or Agatio was trying to kill you, sire. However, I don't know which one, or maybe both were plotting…"

"The one speaking is Garet," Ivan whispered to me. "You were asking about him before. He's got a reputation for being sort of stupid, but he's very strong and loyal. I guess Garet proved the Slates wrong. If he can catch an assassination plot, he obviously isn't that dumb."

"Silence!" The King roared, and immediately everyone stopped talking. The King, and everyone in the room, turned their attention to the two on the floor. "Both of you. What do you have to say in your defense?"

"King Hammet!" Agatio immediately jumped in before Mia could say a word. "I am Agatio, a warrior from the noble household of Prox! Prox has always served the King faithfully. I also happen to know the warrior Karst personally! She is my girlfriend! She would definitely say that I'm innocent. The only reason I couldn't answer his questions about my recipes," Agatio paused to jerk his thumb towards Garet. "Was because everything's relative in making drinks. Add sugar until it's sweet. Stir until the ingredients are dissolved. No answer's gonna be definite!"

"You should have _said _that," Garet snorted.

"My lord," Mia lifted her tear-stained face. She looked terrified. "I've owned the baker's shop across the street for nearly one-hundred years now. You have tasted my baking on numerous occasions. I belong to the Mercury Clan; I am the second of two members. I have also served to heal wounded soldiers. Surely I would never plot against you!" Her eyes lowered. "Forgive me for not answering the human's questions. I had assumed that he was part of a competing bakery and wanted my own recipes."

Garet clapped a hand on his forehead. "You should have _said_ that, too!"

The King shook his head, obviously unsure of what to do. "Let me think about it for a while… This will obviously require some more investigation. Garet!" Immediately the red-haired human came to attention. "I'm assigning you to this job. Report everything you learn directly to me."

"Yessir!" Garet beamed.

"Unfortunately it appears that we must cut this party short," the King addressed the crowd. The surrounding Slates nodded their heads, agreeing with Hammet's logic. "Let's all return to our homes until this mess is sorted out."

"Come on," Ivan tugged at my shoulder. "I thought it might be good to leave soon, anyway."

I sighed and nodded my head. It had been quite a day. Most of it seemed unreal. At least the King had agreed to come to dinner. Perhaps Ivan and I could convince Hammet to save us humans…

* * *

A/N: Oy. It's been a long time. Sorry, people. I could give you a million excuses, but it'd bore you to death, so I won't. At least it was a long chapter… 

No one flamed me. Immortal-being never did kill me yet. He broke his promise. Hm… I sort of had trouble writing what Alex would say. Maybe I'll get flamed for that.

This story will probably be finished by the end of summer. Unless something drastic happens, which… sort of has already, but it shouldn't kill the story, I'll be finished within the next 2-3 chapters.

These hit counters are awesome. I had no idea I had so many readers. Unless all of you that review go back to re-read the story a lot of times. O.o But anyway, I say 'hi' to all of my silent readers, too. That includes you, Seri!

Apparently the Slates are like ancient Egypt now. I have no idea where that came from.

Acknowledgments: Razorsoft and Sega own the Slates, Nintendo and Camelot own Golden Sun and all related characters. And I don't own Esther, _Dreamers_, or Danny Phantom. There were traces of the three in the story, you see. Inspiration!

Chapter 7 Reviewer Acknowledgments:

Kyarorain: Yup, found it thanks to you. Thanks!

Xanda: Lol I'm broke. And Alex came back really quickly. He bounces back fast. Oh… Felix really is dead in this story, though. Thanks, unique is good.

Aliso: Well it was a while but it's finally here. Sorry for the wait. I'm glad you like the story; thanks.

SpasticDjinn: lol sorry… took a while to update. Thanks; I'm glad you like it.

SolShinji: Better start laughing.

Corycian Muse: Volcanoshipping? Thanks for the help. And thanks for the compliments too.

Favri the Fisher: Well, Slates consider humans inferior. I don't think Ivan wanting an 'inferior' being as his wife would make the guy arrogant. If anything it would lower his status. Just a weird world, lol.


	9. Mercury Clan's Plot

Hope

Chapter 9: Mercury Clan's Plot

The night was passing far too slowly. Ivan had fallen asleep long ago, but I was still staring out the window. Unlike Weyard, this planet possessed two moons. Few stars were present, although there was one particularly bright star that had caught my eye. Perhaps it wasn't a star, and was a planet, instead. Maybe it was Weyard, for all I knew. This planet's constellations were completely different than my home world.

What would happen to Weyard, now that humans were gone? Would it be used by other creatures, like the Slates? Or would the animals and monsters remain the only inhabitants? The latter seemed unlikely, as it seemed like everyone was always searching for more living space. Perhaps a few humans had escaped the capture and massacre. Maybe they were beginning to pick up the ends of our old life. At least it was better than being slaves to the Slates. Then again, some people adapted to their new positions without a fight, like Isaac.

What of Isaac? Why had he not come? Maybe he'd been injured. What if he had been killed? Or perhaps he tried to sneak into the palace, and he was caught. I definitely should have talked with Saturos at the party. I had completely forgotten in all the strange events.

I couldn't believe that Alex was planning to kill every human. For crying out loud, what did _we _ever do to _him?_ If it was just one single person who had ticked him off, you'd think Alex would go after them, not our entire race. Alex was pretty darn creepy; I'll bet that whoever made him mad had a just cause. Mia had mentioned that Alex provoked the war against Weyard. Was his goal to get rid of all humans, or was that just a cover-up in order for him to achieve the throne and Golden Sun? What the heck was the Golden Sun, anyway? What if the assassination plot against the King was really from Alex?

Poor Mia! I don't think she would agree to work for Alex. That meant it had to be Agatio who had poisoned the drinks, right? Then again, Mia had expressed some resentment towards her government. I couldn't believe that she would poison food, though. She seemed so kind-hearted, and could even be timid at times. Mia had mentioned that she was also a nurse, so obviously she was a healer, not a killer.

She also said she had worked for the King one-hundred years… That's sort of a scary thought. She looked to be my age. If Mia was over a hundred, and Piers looked older than her, how old was Piers? He had to be older than dust. Sort of a scary thought.

There were just too many questions and not enough answers. I sighed and let my eyes sink from the sky to the city. Most of the buildings were dark, but a few had their lights present. A sudden determination swept through my mind. I could find some of the answers to my questions. If Isaac was caught, then certainly he would be in the dungeon. Assuming, of course, that there was a dungeon. Although, I doubt they'd keep a dungeon in the palace of the King. One of the guards was bound to know. Garet… he was Isaac's friend, so surely he would know.

Maybe I could find Mia, too. Oh, wait… She only worked at the palace. She probably wouldn't be here at this time. At least I could check.

It wasn't like I was planning to sleep, anyway. With most of the guests gone, and the majority of Slates sleeping, I could walk around the palace easier than in broad daylight. What if I couldn't find Garet, or the guards refused to help me? No use worrying about it…

I sighed and pushed myself away from the windowsill. I knew it was a crazy to search for Isaac, but I wanted to assure myself that he wasn't locked up somewhere. Quietly I padded to the door, and opened it silently. Not a creak escaped from its hinges. Lightly shutting the door behind me, I was free to roam through the palace.

The air was crisp, and had the taste of outdoor air. There was a single guard stationed by one of the palace's exits. I headed towards the Slate's way. "Excuse me," I addressed him. "Could you please tell me where I can find the guard, Garet?"

The Slate jumped in surprise. I had the sneaking suspicion that he had been sleeping on his feet. "Huh? What?"

I repeated my question again. By this time the defender had become fully awake.

"Who the heck are you?" The Slate growled, and suddenly his hand reached out to grab my arm. "Why in the world would you look for someone at an hour like this?"

He pulled me in closer to the moonlight. Instinctively I resisted, but I had been surprised when he latched onto my arm, so I was easily dragged closer. My body was forced onto his chest. I flushed scarlet, and he seemed awkward at the position too, for he faltered for a split second.

"Ew!" I spat. "Let go of me, you pervert!" I wrenched my hand away from his grasp, and socked him in the face. The Slate staggered back a few steps, and blinked. "If you must know," I fumed quietly. "I wanted to ask him a few questions about a certain prisoner. As for who I am, I'm Jenna."

"Luh… Lady Jenna?" His golden eyes became wide. Absentmindedly, he rubbed at where I had hit him. "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you at first. You're looking for Garet?"

Finally! I nodded my head.

"I think, uh, he's watching Mia's. She's not supposed to leave her new appointed rooms until the details of the assassination plot have been discovered." Mia! So she was here. Maybe I would be able to offer some comfort to her.

"So… where is that?" I pressed.

"It's down this hallway, the first room to your right," the Slate explained.

"Ah, thank you," I nodded my head. I was about to turn and leave, when a sudden question caught me. "If she is being held for possible murder, why would she be allowed in the same building as the king?"

"Well, the King isn't here right now… I'm not exactly supposed to say where he is. Sorry."

"No, it's fine. Thank you for your help." I nodded my head once, before turning to follow the Slate's directions. "Sorry about hitting your face," I apologized while walking away.

I soon came to a long corridor. There was a dark figure slouched over the first door to my right. For a few seconds my heart began to beat faster, although exactly what I was nervous of, I didn't know. As quietly as I could, I worked my way towards where the figure was. When I was a fair distance away, I listened intently. Just barely, I could make out the steady breathing sounds of someone sleeping. As I got closer, I recognized the person as Garet.

His head was leaning against the doorframe, causing his hair to become disarrayed. Garet's left hand fell from his side to just barely touch the floor, while his right hand's fingertips rested on his sword. The sleeping guard's mouth was slightly open, and his chest rose and sunk steadily.

The fact that the man was in front of Mia's door perturbed me. If she had a guard exactly next to her door, that probably meant no one was supposed to go out, or in. Even though Garet was shirking his duty by sleeping, he was still a guard. Although I wanted to ask Garet about Isaac, I wanted to see Mia, too. It came to my mind that I should sneak in. The guard would never know; he was sleeping. Then again, it would be awfully hard to open the door without him falling over…

As if Garet had heard my thoughts, he readjusted slightly, so that his head was no longer on the doorframe, but the floor instead. At first I was afraid he would wake up, but soon enough I heard his steady breathing once again. I grinned slightly, and got as close to the door as I dared, before leaning over the guard's body in order to open the door.

The door opened with only a single squeak. Carefully, I stepped over the sleeping human, before standing in the doorway. As I closed the door behind me, I mentally sighed in relief. Even if I was caught later, at least Mia would still have some encouragement.

I glanced around the room, and was surprised when I recognized it. It was the same room that I had been preparing for the wedding. Mia was sleeping on the bed, so I quietly crept over, still wary of Garet.

Even though I had barely made an extra sound, Mia awoke quickly. "Who's there?" She whispered, her voice holding a little fear.

"It's me," I replied quietly.

"Jenna?" Mia asked incredulously.

"Yea," I nodded my head. "I just wanted to make sure that you were ok."

"I'm fine…" Mia lifted herself into a sitting position on the bed. "Does the guard know you're here?"

"No," I admitted. "He was sleeping."

"You shouldn't be here," Mia sighed. "They'll make you a suspect, too."

I was going to ask more about Mia's day, when a voice from the other side of the wall began to speak. "Well, well now… Sleeping on your job, I see," a sickeningly familiar voice said.

Mia and I exchanged worried glances. "You have to hide," Mia whispered, and brought me towards a closet. "Stay in there. Someone's going to enter."

I halfway walked, halfway was pushed into the closet. Mia closed it behind her. While we were doing this, we could hear Garet responding. "I uh… Guess I must have dozed off."

The closet had enough room so that I could move without hitting something. However, there were no places for me to hide. If someone opened the door, I would most undoubtedly be discovered. Silently I wondered if this would get me into more trouble. Sneaking into Mia's room was one thing, but sneaking and hiding was even worse.

"Sure," Alex's voice was almost completely muffled from my position, but I could still make out his words if I strained my ears. "Listen. I'm here for two reasons. The first is to show you this."

There was a long pause. In fact it was so long that I thought maybe Alex and Garet had left. "What's this?" Garet's voice sounded hoarse.

"Exactly what it looks like," Alex replied coolly.

There was another pause. When Garet spoke again, his voice held contained rage. "What gives you the right? And why are you showing this to me?"

"I just thought I would give you some time to prepare. You should thank me, actually…"

"Thank you?" Garet snapped unbelievably.

"As for my right, I thought that perhaps you should take my threats a bit more serious next time. But you know…" There was a faint clicking sound, as though Alex were taking a few steps. "This can be amended. All you have to do is apologize, and give me the Mars star."

"Forget it," Garet growled. "I've done nothing wrong. You won't get the Mars star. Even if I did everything you said, there's no way you'd kill this sentence."

"Perhaps. It depends on how cooperative the others are. This brings me to my second reason as to why I'm here. I need to see Mia."

"You ba-"

"Language," Alex chuckled disapprovingly. "Language, Garet."

"She isn't supposed to see anyone," Garet replied, more calm than what he had previously been.

"Surely you can make an exception for a vizier," Alex coaxed. "Or perhaps you would care for me to come up with something more creative than what I already have."

Garet must have grudgingly agreed, because the door opened and then closed. A single pair of footsteps entered. "Ah, I see you're already up," Alex seemed to take on a lighter tone.

"It was hard to sleep with you and Garet talking," Mia's tone held an icy edge. From the direction of her voice, I guessed she was probably sitting on the bed. "What brings you here?"

"Straight to the point, I see," Alex stated amusedly. "Why can't we be on friendly terms, Mia? We're the only members of the Mercury Clan, after all."

"That may be so, but you and I are as different as the elements," Mia was practically growling. It was strange to hear her so upset. "I'm sure that you didn't come here to be 'friendly.' I'll ask again. What brings you here, Alex?"

"Fine, then," Alex paused for a second. When he spoke, his voice was very low, and I could just barely hear him. "I'm here to let you know that only half of our bargain is complete. The King's still alive, Mia. Until he's dead, our… contract will not be fulfilled."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mia said defensively.

"No need to act so innocent," Alex chuckled slightly. "Don't worry. Garet can't hear us from here."

But _I _could. Was Alex speaking the truth? Was Mia the one who had been planning the assassination? And why would she even agree to help Alex? When I spoke to Mia about Alex, the female Slate became very distraught. Maybe that was the reason as to why she was so upset.

"Alex, you lied to me!" Mia suddenly whispered, but her became very high-pitched. "What was that all about with Garet?"

"Don't worry. The throne comes before the elemental stars. It's just an incentive for him. I would never lie to you, Mia…" Even if I didn't know Alex that well, I did understood that nothing he said could be trusted.

"If you do kill all those humans," Mia's voice returned to its normal volume. "Then I will expose you for the fraud that you are."

"Even though you would also be exposing yourself?" Alex sounded very surprised. "Chances are no one would believe you."

"I don't care!" Mia sobbed. "I don't care if I get killed in the process. Alex! You can't sentence an entire race. It's not ethical!"

"Hmph," Alex muttered. "It completely depends on how things go. I'm here to tell you that Karst is taking over your job. Mia, don't do anything stupid. Don't die for such worthless beings. Just stay out of my way."

Karst? Wasn't that the name of the warrior who defeated Felix? I felt myself burn in sudden anger. Was she in league with Alex?

The clicking of Alex's boots across the floor interrupted my thoughts. The door opened. When a minute had passed by and nothing happened, I tentatively opened the closet door. Mia was sitting on her bed, looking very thoughtful.

"Mia?" I asked quietly.

"Oh," she snapped out of her trance. "I'm sorry, Jenna…"

"What was Alex talking about?" I felt a sickening pang in my stomach. Mia never spoke of Alex fondly, yet if she was working for him… Why else would Alex say such things, especially about the King and elemental stars?

Blinking back a few tears, Mia held her breath. When she was forced to breathe, her body shook slightly. "I'm sorry." She stared into my eyes. Mia seemed to be silently debating about whether or not she should tell me the truth. "I'm the one who poisoned the food."

I blinked at Mia. "But… Why? All those people… you wanted them… me… us… dead?" It seemed so unlike her. I couldn't believe she was a murderer.

"No!" Her voice rose louder than what she had intended, and I winced. Garet was certain to come in now that he was awake. "But if the King is not killed," her voice became quieter. "Then all humans will die. I thought… If only one died, it would not be as bad as thousands."

"Mia," I shook my head. "If the King were to die, then wouldn't Ivan ascend to the throne?" Garet had not yet entered, and I wondered why he had not.

"There is… another," Mia hesitated. "Hamma is Ivan's elder sister. However, she has been missing since birth. As a result, everyone –including the King- refer to Ivan as the firstborn. This isn't entirely correct, however."

I frowned. "So Alex intends to find Ivan's missing sister?"

"Jenna," Mia stared directly into my eyes. "Alex has _already _found Hamma. She was never 'lost' to begin with."

"So then, he…?" My mind began to put the pieces together.

"Yes," the humanized Slate answered by unsaid question. "When the King is gone, Alex plans to introduce Hamma to the world. In exchange for being 'rescued' by Alex, Hamma will marry Alex. Thus, in this way, he would become the King."

"But why does Alex want the elemental stars?" Everything seemed to make sense, except that. If Alex had the throne, what more could he possibly want?

"The throne is not his true goal. What he really wants… is the Golden Sun."

"The Golden Sun?" I repeated. Ivan had mentioned it earlier. "Isn't that just a myth? And what would it do?"

"I thought it was just a myth, too," Mia admitted. "But Alex seems to think that it's real enough. I don't know what more it would give him. Maybe he wants more than this world… I've heard the Golden Sun can control the universe, but other than that, I know very little about it."

"Hm…" I mused. "Alex mentioned that he was going to use Karst. Agatio said that he was Karst's boyfriend. So does that mean they're both involved?"

"Probably. Karst knows Alex pretty well."

"Why does Alex want to destroy all humans then?"

"I wish I knew!" Mia sighed. "I think he just might be using it to threaten others in order to get the elemental stars. I had to give him the Mercury star, in order that he wouldn't sentence all the humans. But it doesn't look like he's keeping his word. He keeps asking me to do more things… Except for tonight, when he said that Karst was going to assassinate the King."

I suddenly hugged Mia. She was surprised for a second, before returning it. "Mia… You must tell someone about this. There has to be a way to save us humans without assassinating the King. Tomorrow, Ivan and I are going to talk to the King about Alex's sentence. I think it might be a good idea for the King to know this…"

"If only it was that simple!" Mia sighed in frustration. "Talking to the King is one thing. But telling him that his right-hand man is plotting his destruction is another. King Hammet probably wouldn't believe me, or you, about Alex." We released each other from our hug.

I felt awful about the entire situation. It seemed like no one would believe us. "But we must do _something_," I protested.

The door to Mia's room creaked slightly. Both of us looked to see who was there. Immediately I recognized Garet. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never heard the door close when Alex left the room.

For a few uncomfortable seconds, no one said anything. An overwhelming sense of fear was building in my chest. Mia and I were still staring at Garet, while he was staring at us. "How long have you been there?" I finally gathered the courage to ask.

"Since Alex left," Garet replied solemnly.

_Plop!_ Mia fell backwards from her sitting position. Her head hit the pillow on her bed. She had fainted!

"Then you understand, right?" I asked, my words coming out faster than what I had intended. "You know why Mia did all those things. You know that it's really Alex and not her. She was trying to save us. You're human too, right?"

"Alex showed me that message about killing all the humans tonight. Yea, I'm human, too." He broke eye contact from me. "Lady Jenna. You don't have to concern yourself with such matters. No one would kill a princess such as yourself."

"I don't care!" I blurted out. My mind and heart raced at the same time. "If I live but every one of my people die, what would I gain from that? I won't just sit here and watch humans get massacred. Neither should you! No one should! Please," I calmed myself down slightly, and forced myself to speak slower. "Sir Garet. Don't just kill Mia, and let her take all the blame. She is not our enemy! We need to stop Alex. Please…"

"I have to think about this," Garet said, sounding incredibly uncertain.

I quickly sought for any reason that might convince Garet that Alex was truly the one he was after, not Mia. After a quick second, I remembered why I had originally wandered through the palace. "You're not just going to sit by while you and all other humans are killed, are you? What about your family and friends? What about Isaac? I bet he wouldn't just sit by if he knew about this!"

"Isaac?" Garet's eyes lifted to meet mine again. "How do you-"

"He is a wonderful friend who helped me understand the Slates' world better. I don't agree with everything he said, but he still helped a lot. Surely you are friend with him, too? You wouldn't just sit there as he was killed, right?" I pressed, hoping maybe Garet would agree.

"No, I wouldn't," Garet admitted, and I began to feel a rush of relief flood through my body.

"So then do something! Tell the King exactly what happened. Don't let Alex scare you so much."

Garet nodded his head. I could tell that he was beginning to feel a little bit better about the entire situation.

"Oh yes," I remembered, walking towards the door and the red-haired human. "I nearly forgot. I originally came here looking for you. I wanted to know if…" I paused, feeling slightly silly. "If… Isaac was perhaps thrown in jail? Or a dungeon? Or whatever it was that the Slates have here?"

"I don't think so," Garet looked very surprised. "That wallflower? Why would he be put in the dungeon? No, I'm pretty sure he isn't there."

"Alright," I nodded my head, feeling slightly better. "That's good."

Garet gestured beside him, where the palace's hall lay. "I'll take care of things here. It's late. Why don't you go back to your room?"

I nodded my head, grateful at his dismissal. It seemed as though I had convinced Garet and made him an ally. Hopefully, together with my other friends, we would be able to stop Alex.

I sighed, and prayed that things would work out for the best.

* * *

A/N: Argh, my word document doesn't work right on my father's computer. That means I will be unable to write Saturday and Sunday.

I am debating about whether I should make one large chapter for the final one, or make two chapters and have the second be more of an "ending" instead of part of the story's plot. I have no idea. But either way, it's still going to take the same amount of time to write it. Mkay.

Acknowledgments: Eh, see the other chapters if you haven't figured it out by now.

Chapter 8 Reviewer Acknowledgments:

Corycian Muse: Alex always seems to enjoy bringing bad news, doesn't he? Kraden is one smart cookie. He's good at finding stuff out. Thanks for your compliments!

Xanda: Wow thanks, I'm surprised you managed to read the chapter from your vacation. Alex is so lovely when he's evil, isn't he? I'm glad he didn't seem too OOC. Portuguese keyboard, huh? Sounds tough…


	10. Dinner Party

Hope

Chapter 10: Dinner Party

Although I had not slept very long last night, there was no time to be tired. Ivan and I had to prepare for our 'dinner party' with Alex and the King. Besides making the food, we needed to plan on how to approach the King about Alex's scheme. It was difficult, and neither of us really had a plan. We just prayed that things would work out.

I also hoped that Garet would tell everything that he had learned last night. It would definitely help the King believe us if he heard from two different sources. If Mia had the courage to testify too, surely Hammet would believe us.

Ivan and I were using the palace's kitchen. At the moment, none of the workers were allowed to use it. Garet had advised that no one should use the food in the pantries, until the poison's location was found. He had also given everyone a 'few days off' until the culprit of the assassination plot was found. Evidently Garet had yet to file the report, for no one was using the kitchen besides my husband and me.

Ivan had bought some supplies, and I was concentrating on making something the Slates called _miruku kaijuu_. It was their dragon language for… something. Whatever recipe I was following, it looked like chicken in a cream sauce. Although, I seriously doubted that the meat I was using was actually chicken. Whenever I called it that, Ivan sort of laughed. It made me nervous.

"Uh-oh," Ivan murmered.

I turned from the _miruku kaijuu _that I had been fixing. "What's wrong?" I asked, hoping he hadn't burnt something.

"I forgot to buy something," he grinned sheepishly at me.

"Oh yea? What's that?"

"Um…" Ivan hesitated. "I forget what it's called in this language. Maybe it was… N-A-C-L?"

"N-A-C-L?" I repeated. "Nacl," I tried putting the letters together in a word. It still didn't sound right. "Na-cl," I accented the word differently. "Hm... doesn't sound like any word I know."

"I need to stay here to make this," Ivan gestured to the food. "And it's not exactly something I can just teach you to do... Are you sure you don't know what N-A-C-L is?"

I thought about it once again. "Perhaps... Oh! NaCl! You mean salt?"

"Salt!" Ivan lit up. "Yes, that was it. So you _do _know what I'm talking about."

"Yea," I grinned. "You want me to get salt? Fine. Where should I go?"

Ivan gave me some directions to a grocery store. It wasn't very far; actually, it was right next to Mia's bakery. I figured that it would only take thirty minutes to get the necessary supply. Hopefully Ivan didn't need the salt right away.

I walked down the palace's tiled floor. If Isaac wasn't in the dungeon, where had he been? Uh-oh. When the King and Alex came to dinner, I wouldn't be able to exactly sneak out into the courtyard. Then again, maybe the sun would set after they left. If that was the case, I could check the garden. Yes, then I'd be able to finally see Isaac…

"How have you been?" Alex's voice interrupted my musings. I froze, and glanced around warily. Alex was definitely _not _a Slate I wanted to talk to. However, he was nowhere in my sight. Was he hiding?

"That's not why you're here," a second person snapped. I recognized that it was Garet, but he was nowhere to be seen, either.

A corner was near me, so I cautiously peeked over to the other side. Sure enough, Alex and Garet where there. Neither had caught my spying yet, so I quickly ducked back under the cover of the wall. What were those two doing?

"You're absolutely right," Alex replied. I could just imagine his fake smile plastered on his face. "Perhaps we should carry the conversation in there."

Alex opened the door, and I heard a few footsteps move farther away. When the door was closed, I peeked around the corner again. No one was there. Out of pure curiosity, I quietly padded to where Garet and Alex had been standing. Nothing.

I glanced to my left, and found a door. Immediately I assumed that Garet and Alex were in there. I pressed my ear against the door. Yes, I was nosy. But I had a good reason to be so. Anyone speaking with Alex could not mean good news. Whenever that pretty boy showed up, it always meant trouble.

"You know, I think Princess Jenna is really warming up to me. She even invited me to dinner tonight. Just the King and me. It's such a shame. If only more humans were like her."

"Stop talking about random nonsense," Garet growled. "Get to the point already."

"Fine," Alex paused. "So…" He stopped again. "You know about Mia."

"Yea," Garet replied warily.

"You have yet to file a report."

"I'm getting there. I requested an audience with the King. I'll talk to him tomorrow," Garet's voice was low, but somewhat controlled. It still sounded like he wanted to kill Alex, though.

"Mm. What exactly are you planning to tell him?" Alex sounded so _casual_. Like he didn't care one way or the other.

"Exactly what happened," Garet said firmly. There was another long lapse of silence. For a second I grew worried that either of the two would open the door and find me.

"If you testify against Mia," Alex began slowly. "If you say that she was the one responsible for the poisoning, I myself will denounce it. I don't believe she was the one responsible for the incident."

"I'm not going to testify against Mia. Alex, I'm gonna testify against _you_. You're the one who threatened her to do it. Mia did everything against her own will."

I held my breath, awaiting Alex's response. It seemed so strange… Did Alex actually care for Mia? Or was Alex just trying to save his own head? It seemed so unlike him.

"Oh. Is that so," Alex's normal tone had gone unusually flat.

"Yea. I know _everything_, Alex. Even your plan with Hamma… _Hey!_" Something made of glass fell on the floor, and it shattered. "Geez, holy cow. Watch it. Just to let you know, I'm not the only one who knows. So if you think that by killing me off is gonna solve your problem, forget it."

"Mia told you all this of her own free will?" For a second Alex's voice wavered. He had never shown any weakness, but now, it was clear that he was definitely becoming emotional.

"I guess… not really. She kind of fainted after I found out…" Garet was beginning to have second thoughts. It was evident that he had not been expecting such a response from Alex.

"Why you…" Alex sputtered. "You mean to tell me that you… you… _hurt _her without proof that she was involved?"

Garet really had phrased his reply awfully. If Alex did like Mia, no wonder why he was so upset.

A sudden moisture touched my feet. I lifted my ear from the door and looked down. Blue water was beginning to slowly ooze out of the door.

"Hey man!" Garet cried out, definitely alarmed. "Don't wet your pants, ok?"

Mentally I screamed at Garet. If he were to just explain to Alex that Mia hadn't been tortured, he wouldn't be so upset.

I began to move a safe distance away from the door, as more water was coming out. My shoes were already damp, and I didn't want them to get soaked before dinner.

"Don't think you can just get away with this," Alex became louder, and I could clearly hear him. "I _will _inform the King of _your _treachery. I'll get King Hammet to make your race's death sentence even sooner. By tomorrow morning all humans will perish!"

The door slammed open, and Alex stormed out. He was so absorbed in himself that he did not notice me.

Meanwhile, I was feeling very sick. Hadn't Alex just pushed our death sentence forward? Forget about salt. I needed to tell Ivan what happened!

I quite literally ran back to the kitchen. If Alex spoke to the King… Oh! I shuddered to think what might happen. We were already on a tight time schedule as it was.

"I-vaaan!" I called out, bursting into the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" The young Slate turned to face me. He seemed deeply troubled over my own anxiety.

"I… I was going to buy salt, but then I overheard this conversation between Alex and Garet…" I explained everything that had happened a few minutes ago. When I was finished, I looked at Ivan hopefully. "What… what do you think we should do? If Alex talks to the King now…" I trailed off.

Ivan closed his eyes. When he opened them, he smiled slightly, as if to reassure me that things would be ok. "Alex can't talk to Master Hammet right now."

"Huh? Why not? How can we be sure?"

"Master Hammet isn't here right now," Ivan explained. Immediately I recalled what the Slate guard had said last night. "He's only coming back tonight… for supper. So that means the only time Alex can speak to the King about killing humans would be…"

"At our dinner party," I whispered, finishing for my husband. "Oh my goodness." I stared into Ivan's eyes.

"We'll have to talk to the King about Alex's treason immediately. Otherwise, Alex might get to him first."

I blinked and shook my head. It sounded like it would be one crazy dinner party. I still could barely believe what I had just heard.

"Now… about that salt…"

* * *

Ivan and I were using an old banquet hall. The table was huge, but there was really no other place to hold a dinner party. Besides, this way, we had enough room for all the food we had prepared.

"I'm not sure how seating works on your planet, but perhaps I should tell you how things work around here," Ivan said, gesturing to the long table. "Everyone's seated according to their rank, so to speak. So, Master Hammet will be at the head of the table." Ivan walked behind the table's front, letting his hands touch the back of chair. "This one," he explained. "Then, the King's most trusted servant sits on the King's first right." Ivan tapped the chair he was talking about. "Sadly, that's Alex. He'll be sitting right there." Ivan walked to the left side of the table. "I'll be sitting here, across from Alex." He grinned ruefully at me. "And you'll be beside Alex."

"Whaaat?" I shook my head. No way! I didn't want to be anywhere near Alex the pervert. "Why can't I sit next to you?"

"Sorry…" Ivan was still smiling sadly. "It's the way things work around here. At least, with formal things like this."

"Dinner is considered _formal _here?" I asked incredulously.

"No, but dinner with a King is."

"I thought you were his son."

"Sort of… Adopted son."

"You're adopted?" My jaw dropped. "How the heck does _that _work? Man, you're right. Things sure are different here."

Ivan laughed. "Maybe… I'm used to all these things, but I can tell they really surprise you."

"Well duh." I rolled my eyes. "I'm an alien from another planet. Of course this is all weird for me."

"Hm… sounds sort of scary when you put it that way."

"Well, anyway," I decided to change the subject. "Is there anything else that needs to be done before they get here?"

"No, I think we're all set. They should be here any moment."

"Hello there!" Hammet hailed us. Ivan and I had evidently not noticed that Hammet had entered through the door.

"Speak of the devil…" Ivan muttered, so that only I could hear. Quickly, Ivan kneeled to the floor. I tried to mimic his action as fast as I could, but I was slightly clumsier than what he was. "Greetings, Master Hammet," Ivan spoke respectfully.

"Rise, the both of you," Hammet smiled. "Ivan, you are my son. When we are in the presence of just a few close friends, or your wife, please just call me 'Father.'"

"As you say…" Ivan rose, and I followed him. Hammet looked slightly pained that Ivan was still acting formal.

"King Hammet," I gestured to the head of the table's chair. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Hammet took the seat, and nodded his head. "Yes, thank you. It is nice to get talk to both of you on friendlier terms. I am truly sorry about your wedding reception. I never would have dreamed that someone would try to poison the food; we had some of our most trusted people prepare the meal."

"Yes, it does seem awfully strange," I agreed, sitting down where Ivan had asked me to. "I'm sure that Garet will be able to uncover everything," I hinted. Hopefully Garet's tale would be more plausible after Ivan and I explained what Alex was planning.

"Indeed!" Hammet agreed. "He actually requested an audience. Said he found out what happened. Soon all the details will be known. As a matter of fact… I never did thank Garet properly for saving my life. He was the one who originally uncovered the assassination plot, you see. What do you suppose a suitable reward would be? It should be something grand… I'm terrible when it comes to creativity."

"Hm…" I thought about it. "I'm unused to the different customs here," I admitted. "I'm not really sure what would be considered proper."

"I'm not really sure, either," Ivan said. He sat down beside the King. "Perhaps you could let him choose? You tell him that you would give one thing that he desired. At least then for sure he'd enjoy the gift. Although I'm sure whatever you decide he'll like it," Ivan hastily added. Of course! Why hadn't I thought of that? If Garet could ask for one thing, it would be to save us humans.

"Maybe…" Hammet still sounded unsure.

At that moment, the banquet's hall doors opened. They banged shut, and in strode Alex. He was making a scene, as usual. "My apologies for being late," Alex declared, as if any of us cared. "I had some business that took longer than expected."

"Hello, Alex," Ivan stated flatly. His eyes did not move from the blue-haired Slate. "What business might have kept you?"

Alex shot Ivan a death glare, which was not visible to the King. "Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that a certain group of people are defiant. They are unwilling to submit to the laws the King has made. In fact, I actually have a request to the King, concerning them." Alex seated himself. He nodded his head to the King, before flashing an insincere smile to me.

My heart began to beat faster. Was Alex… talking about humans? He must have been. We were the only ones who had ticked him off so far.

"A request?" Hammet repeated. Oh no. I prayed that he wouldn't ask Alex what he wanted. "How about you ask me after dinner?"

I mentally sighed in relief. At least this would give Ivan and me some time. We began our meal, and for a while some time passed with us just making small talk.

"Oh, Alex," Hammet looked to his right-hand man. "I nearly forgot. We were discussing about giving a reward to a very important person."

"A very important person?" Alex glanced up from his meal.

"Yes," Hammet nodded his head. "He's helped me very much. I suppose you could call him a right-hand man. I wanted to give him something to express my gratitude. However, I just can't think of something suitable. What do you propose?"

"King Hammet," Alex grinned. For some reason I got the sense that he was actually being sincere. "You have a man you wish to honor? Perhaps I can suggest a few things. For the man you wish to honor, drape him in purple robes."

'What?' I mouthed to Ivan.

My husband leaned across the table. "Only royalty can wear purple robes," Ivan whispered.

I didn't understand why only royalty could wear purple clothes, but I just nodded my head. It suddenly occurred to me that both Ivan and Hammet always wore purple.

"Then have a parade, with him on a float, and let the parade go through the streets of Yalak. Let a nobleman proclaim, 'this is what the King does to repay those who honor him.'"

I blinked. Had Alex been thinking about that, or something? It seemed pretty elaborate.

"My word!" King Hammet exclaimed. "That's a wonderful idea! All those things you talked about… Why don't you prepare them yourself? Do everything you said to the guard Garet. Don't leave anything you mentioned out!"

Alex went visibly pale. "Wh-what? To Garet, you say?"

"Yes!" The King grinned. Man, he was just so oblivious. "And you can be that nobleman that proclaims those words. Ok?"

"Ah… um… Well, I…" Alex began to sputter incoherently.

"Now then, what was that request you wanted to make, Alex?"

"Um…" Alex visibly wilted. "Never mind. It's not that important. I'll take care of it myself."

"Alex can be so creative," Hammet beamed at Ivan and me.

Alex looked as though he was going to hurl. Ivan and I exchanged glances.

"He is so trustworthy and dependable," Hammet chuckled. "Why, even with small things such as that, he is wonderfully helpful. I can't think of a better person to be vizier."

Now Ivan and I began to wilt too. "You… don't say?" I managed to find my voice.

"Indeed!" Hammet rose from his seat. "Thank you so much for dinner. It was wonderful. Especially your _miruku kaijuu, _Jenna." The King began to walk away. "Yes, we should do this again sometime…"

"Father!" Ivan called out. Hammet stopped, and turned back to his son. The King was so happy; I could see it even from a distance. Whenever Ivan called him _father_, Hammet just lit up. "Father," Ivan repeated. "Please, would you and Alex like to come tomorrow, also?"

"Yes, we'd love to have you again," I quickly agreed.

"Hm…" Hammet hesitated. "Well, if that is what you would like. I did enjoy our meal. How about you, Alex?"

"Sure," Alex sounded miserable. He removed himself from his chair and began to walk away.

When the two were gone, Ivan turned to me. A smile played against his face. "You know," he began, taking a few of the dirty dishes from the table. "Alex thought that Hammet was going to give him everything he suggested."

"Alex?" I blinked at Ivan. I shook my head disbelievingly, and began to help Ivan. "How would you know that?"

"Because I can read people's minds," Ivan explained calmly. I almost dropped the dish I was holding.

"Y-you can?" I could barely believe what I was hearing.

"Yes…"

When he didn't say anything more, I went back to gathering the plates. We brought them to the sink. I washed them, while Ivan dried the ones I handed him.

My mind was partly on what Ivan had just said, while the other was still focused on the previous dinner with Hammet and Alex. We hadn't been able to speak with Hammet about Alex. Then again, neither had Alex succeeded in killing all the humans. If we didn't come out and tell Hammet tomorrow night, then all humans would die regardless. I just hoped a better opportunity would present itself.

The sun began to shine through a window. I winced. The sun was just beginning to set now, but I couldn't just ditch Ivan and leave all the work to him. Isaac would have to wait another day… Although I truly did miss him. If I could just see him one more time… Maybe he could help me, and tell me what to say to the King. I wanted to tell Isaac about Garet, Mia, Ivan, and Alex. I wanted to let Isaac know about everything that had happened.

"And I know about Isaac," Ivan interrupted my thoughts. I looked at him wide-eyed, but he was staring at the dish he was drying. How much did Ivan know? Everything? Ivan stopped moving the towel across the dish. He bowed his head slightly. "You should go to him, Jenna. You should go before you miss your chance."

I stared at Ivan. "What…" I began, but stopped myself. I shook my head slowly. "Ivan…" I hesitated. I wanted to go to Isaac; I really did. But I didn't want to just leave Ivan, either.

"Jenna, what are you waiting for? You should hurry."

I wrapped my soapy, waterlogged hands across his neck from behind him. "Ivan, thank you. I'm sorry. But still… thank you." Before I had time to think, I kissed Ivan lightly on the head. Then I ran out of the kitchen, and to the courtyard.

The sun was setting, but Isaac was not there. I waited for him, until there was no more sunlight left. Isaac never came. Dejectedly, I turned from the ledge overhanging the courtyard. No Isaac… Where was he?

* * *

It was the same place, same time, and next evening. Ivan and I were eating with Hammet. Alex had not yet arrived, probably a result to the parade for Garet. My heart would not stop beating quickly. Ivan and I had to confront the King of Alex's treachery, and it had to be _tonight_. The small talk around the table was absent, unlike the previous evening. Ivan and I were nervous, but the King was spacing out.

Suddenly the door swung open. Alex slouched in the doorway. His eyes held embarrassment mixed with anger. He closed the door behind him slowly, before slinking to the empty seat reserved for him at our table.

"Sorry for being late," Alex mumbled. This time, he actually sounded disappointed.

"Ah, Alex!" Hammet beamed. "Were all of my orders carried out? The ones about Garet?"

"Every last one, milord," Alex gritted from between his teeth. The King obviously did not notice Alex's discontent. Our meal continued in silence for some time, until we were nearing the end. (However, Alex was only halfway through with his dinner.)

"This was yet another marvelous meal," Hammet remarked. His voice cut through the silence, and involuntarily I jumped in my seat.

"I am glad it is to your liking, King Hammet," I forced myself to respond. It had to be now or never; the King was going to leave soon. "King Hammet," I hesitated slightly, before continuing. "It has been an honor to have you with us. I must admit, though, that there is another reason why we wanted you to come here." I fidgeted with the napkin in my lap. Part of me felt like I was going to have a nuclear meltdown.

"We have a request," Ivan stated simply, looking straight at his father.

Both Alex and Hammet immediately became interested in the conversation.

"What would you like?" Hammet changed his gaze from Ivan, to me, then back to Ivan again. "Even if it is half the kingdom, I will give it to you."

A spark of confidence began to grow within me. Perhaps Hammet would listen to us, after all. "There is a pressing matter at hand, and I fear my lord has not even heard of it. A new decree has recently come forth, and tomorrow this law will be enforced."

Immediately Alex's gaze hardened. He was still sitting next to me. His eyes seemed to pierce my very soul, and I was certain that he was neither human nor Slate. It was as if he was a demon, and his entire body exuded evil that had been coated in sugar. His will stopped my own, and I found that I had lost my voice.

Immediately sensing my panic, Ivan picked up for me again. "A law has been issued that has sentenced an entire race."

The few seconds it took Ivan to speak, gave me the courage to recover myself. Anger suddenly sprouted in my heart. Why was _Alex _scaring me? There was nothing he could do or say that I would fear! "Tomorrow," I continued. "All humans are to be killed." I forced myself to ignore Alex and stared at Hammet. _Dear God, place help us,_ I prayed.

"King Hammet, I am also human. Most of us are merely slaves, although some of us are free. If we had been merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the King. My race has been sold for destruction and slaughter. Tomorrow, all humans are to be killed."

"I completely support Jenna," Ivan nodded his head. "If she and her people are to be killed, then I will die with her, even though I am not human."

Hammet's face darkened. For a second I feared his anger was placed at us. When he spoke, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief flood through my body. "I do not remember agreeing to any such rule. Who is the one who is responsible for this incident?"

"Alex," Ivan and I replied simultaneously.

"Father, Alex has been manipulating you. He was the one who originally planned the assassination plot. Alex was and is planning on taking the throne. Garet was supposed to file a report about it… Have you not heard? Where is the paperwork? I know you haven't spoken to him yet."

"I do not know why, but Alex bears a grudge against humans. Please, King Hammet," I begged him. "Do not allow him to continue with this."

Alex was completely flustered. He glared at me, then Ivan, then back to me again. "They're lying!" He shouted. The seat clanged to the floor as he jumped to his feet. "This isn't true!"

Hammet rose slowly from the chair. "Alex," he snarled. The kind-hearted king was actually angry. "What a fool I was…"

"My lord!" Alex's voice rose unnaturally high. "Surely you trust your grand vizier? I am your councilor! These people are lying!"

"My son and his wife? Never," Hammet shook head. "They have nothing to gain by telling me this. If I had chosen to believe you, I'm certain you would have found some way to kill them." Hammet began to storm out of the room. He headed straight to the door.

"Father!" Ivan called out, and ran after him. The two were gone from sight in a matter of seconds. That just left…

…me with Alex.

I stood slowly, hoping to escape his notice. Beginning to back away, my leg accidentally hit the chair's leg. The sound it made wasn't very loud, but it snapped Alex out of his trance. He stared right at me. I glared right back, though I was afraid.

His eyes suddenly softened. "I'm going to die," he said simply, as if it were common knowledge.

It was not the answer I had been expecting. I thought he would be angry, or sad. I had thought he would take it out on me. "Huh?"

Alex took a few steps closer to me. Every step he took forward, I took two backwards. Eventually I ended up against the wall, with him right beside me.

"Stay back," I commanded, although my voice lacked confidence. Alex pressed his body up against mine. "N-" His left hand suddenly clasped my mouth.

"I love you," Alex murmured, his hand released my mouth as he came to kiss me once again.

"Mmmph!" I growled, wriggling wildly. This was _so _not the way I imagined that I would first hear those words directed at me.

I guess I had always thought Isaac would say something like that. Or Ivan…

The sound of the door opening caught my attention, but Alex failed to miss it. "What's this?" A familiar voice cried out. Hammet was back. With him were two guards, and Ivan. "Will Alex even molest the princess when she is with me in the house?"

"Get him away from her!" Ivan demanded. He, along with the two guards, rushed towards us and pulled Alex away.

The two guards began to drag Alex, although he did not resist. He smiled at me. 'I love you,' he mouthed.

Then, Alex was gone. He was gone from our sight.

"Jenna!" Ivan took a hold of my hands. "Are you… ok? He didn't do anything, did he?"

"I'm fine," I shook my head, still dazed at what Alex had done.

"Jenna," Hammet took a few steps forward. "I'm so sorry for everything Alex has made your race endure. He was originally the one who had convinced me to wage war on Weyard. It is not much, but as retribution, I shall make it so that all humans are free. They will be free to travel between here and Weyard, and no one can call them slaves."

"Thank you," I smiled, and blinked back tears.

The sun fell on my back from a window. It was setting.

"Go," Ivan commanded me, and smiled sadly. "He did not come yesterday, but perhaps he will be there today."

A few tears began to trickle down my face. Still half alive, I smiled, then ran out of the room. Isaac…

Once again the courtyard stood below me. I began to cry, full-fledged, as the last hour's previous events sunk in. So many things had happened, and I knew not what to do with them. Isaac… I wanted to tell him everything.

But Isaac was not there.

As the sun's rays disappeared, I turned back into the palace. If Isaac would not listen to my words, then I would tell Ivan. It would not be the same, but it would be something.

What would Isaac do when he found out that all humans were free…?

* * *

A/N: ((sob))

Isaac: Since Meneil is so depressed I will be doing the A/N again. She failed to finish this fic before she started school.

((sniffle)) No! That's not it, moron. Although I'm sad about that, too. Why didn't you go see Jenna? She's been waiting for you for like, forever.

Isaac: Um, because I'm here with you? You're the one writing the story.

And why'd you kill Shadell!

Isaac: O.o I did what now? Who'd I kill?

Shade! Now May is traveling with a murderer 'cause she's got amnesia! You meanie…

Isaac: I don't remember ever killing a person named Shade… Wait a sec. Was this Golden Sun?

Erm, no. It was a rp. What's that got to do with anything?

Isaac: … Well. Anyway. The Epilogue is next, which explains what happened to the characters and stuff. Stay tuned! And review.

Btw, some of you like Favri and Sol actually thought Ivan was evil. HA! Ivan is not evil. He is the awesomest and cooliest character ever.

Isaac: Ignoring the fact that you just made up words, I feel hurt. Do you hate me or something?

Yes. Yes, I do. I admitted that in Shadowed. My goal in fan fic is to make other readers hate you.

Isaac: O.o What on Weyard did I do to deserve that?

Erm. Anyway. That's all for now. School is killing me. Yea. But I'll try to update soon. Epilogue shouldn't take too long.

Acknowledgments: Golden Sun is owned by Nintendo and Camelot. Slates are owned by Razorsoft and Sega. And… um… God owns Esther. If you are interested in reading the story, try the Bible. Seriously. This story has a lot of quotes and ideas from it.

Chapter 9 Reviewer Acknowledgments:

Xanda: lol yup! Although Alex saying 'I love you' to Jenna might have been a little ooc. I don't know what possessed me to write that…

SpasticDjinn: lol, but you hadn't updated Golden Sun Boys when you posted your review. I'll take a look at your other fics sometime, but it might take me a while to swing around. 9.5? Wow. I wish I did that well in school. Thanks!

Raielono: lol! So you liked it that I killed Felix, eh? I kind of wish it was Isaac, actually. I like Felix, not Isaac.

Isaac: HI I AM RIGHT HERE.

Erm, anyway. Chocolate! ((eats it)) Yum. Thanks! Glad ya like the story and have read it from the beginning.

Corycian Muse: Well, looks like we still got an Epilogue left. Yay. But man, it's gonna be short. It suddenly occurred to me that it would be strange to switch from past to present tense in the same chapter… so, yea. Thanks!

Isaac: I thought Christians aren't supposed to hate people!

But you're not real!

Isaac: That doesn't have to do with anything!

Ok, ok. Fine. Before I get a million Isaac fans mauling me (again), no, I do not hate Isaac. However, I do enjoy the website http(colon)/www(dot)geocities(dot)com/blkwarrior311/enter(dot)html .

Isaac: THAT IS AN EVIL SITE! Do not enter that site. Do not go!

Alright, sorry for the spam, guys, but I am writing this late sunday night, and I am tired. Allow me my fun. I almost never use muses.

Isaac: Yet she chooses the muse she hates instead of Ivan or Jenna.

I don't hate you. I said that already. Ok I am really tired... goodnight... ((collapse))

Isaac: (Yes! Now I can finally dye her hair blue...) Erm, I mean... Meneil's reasons for hating me are totally unjustified. Sue her. Wait no really don't Camelot don't hurt her...


	11. Epilogue

Hope

Epilogue

This is my story. There is little left to tell you. If you are wondering what happened to everyone, I can only tell you what I know.

Hammet honored his promise. Not a single human was killed, and everyone from Weyard was pronounced free. It was a joyous occasion, and the entire planet feasted for three days. There is still some prejudice among Slates and humans, but much has been reconciled. Many have returned to Weyard, and have begun building our broken world.

Piers and Sheba were two of these people. Both of them returned to Weyard, and aided in construction. It was not long before they had helped build an entire city. They named it Vale, after our old home. There is still much to be done, however. I do not expect them to come back and visit anytime soon.

I visited Weyard once, mainly to check and see how reconstruction was going. A giant monument in the center of Vale caught my eye. Once I had read it, I began to sob in unconditional joy and sadness. The inscription on the stone read as thus:

"HERE LIES FELIX, CHAMPION AND DEFENDER OF WEYARD."

Even though he died, Felix is very much in everyone's minds. He has not been forgotten by Weyard, and for this I am happy. Even though he did not succeed in defeating Karst, Felix is still hailed as a hero.

Kraden now works as an official alchemist in the King's home. He is doing extensive research about the elemental stars and the Golden Sun. It turns out that the elemental stars are the essence of alchemy itself. Together, they fuel an unbelievable power, which in turn forms the Golden Sun. If someone were to possess the Golden Sun, the entire universe would be at his hands. Such tremendous power is not needed here, however. Both the King and Kraden agreed to seal the elemental stars, far, far away so that none may find them. I am glad for this; we do not need another Alex.

After Alex was demoted, Garet took his place as Grand Vizier. It was the first time in history that a human had been a vizier. The King had heard Garet's report, and was pleased. While Alex may have been more cunning than Garet, Garet was so dead honest that Hammet now completely trusts him. I agree; honesty is better than stratagem.

Mia was not punished for poisoning the king's food. In fact, her bakery has now moved inside the palace. Business has never been better. Occasionally, I have seen Mia and Garet take walks outside the courtyard. I have teased them mercilessly for this, although I admit it is far too early to assume anything about their relationship.

Saturos and Menardi are the same as always. They are a strange pair. However, I must admit that I have not kept in consistent contact with them. It just brings back too many memories.

Karst and Agatio have been killed. They were mysteriously murdered in their bedrooms. No one can find any evidence of who did the crime, although there are whispered rumors that it was Alex. Perhaps I should be thankful of this. It means that we do not have to continue the investigation to find if they were indeed in league with Alex. Also, it would have created a lot of controversy for humans to accept Karst. She was the Slates champion, after all. Many held grudges against her, I being one of them. It was hard to forgive my brother's murderer.

As for Ivan and me, we are doing well. Even though I could have returned to Weyard, I stayed with the Slates. My husband and I have begun a long project, and often travel outside of the palace. We are trying to eradicate discrimination between Slates and humans. It is a difficult task, but after hearing my story and where I have come from, many have put their prejudice behind them. Ivan has become an excellent help, and I learned to truly love him, now perhaps the way I should. It took me so long.

Ivan's long lost sister, Hama, has also been found. Alex had told Hamma that she was nothing but a commoner. Imagine her surprise when we told her she was a princess! Now she lives inside the palace. Ivan and she spend much time together, no doubt catching up on all the days they have lost. Hamma is also undergoing intense training, so that she someday may take the throne. She seems hesitant about doing so. I know she has thought about passing the crown onto Ivan, but I think that she will grow and become a wonderful Queen.

Alex was sentenced to be executed, three days after our dinner party with Hammet. When the Slates opened his cell, no one was inside. Alex had escaped the night before. There were intense search parties that tried to hunt him down, but no one ever found him. Recently the King has given up finding him, and only a few hardcore hunters remain.

Every sundown, as long as I am able, I return to the courtyard balcony. I still wait for Isaac to come, although he has not done so yet. Once I asked Saturos if Isaac was still with him. Saturos told me that Isaac had disappeared on the night of Ivan's proposal. Exactly where he went or what became of him, no one knows. But I believe that one day Isaac will return. This is still one of my desires, although I now know that I do not truly love him. He was a wonderful friend, and I can't wait to see how he adapts to this new world. Isaac had become so accustomed to his new life that I wonder what it would be like for him to be free.

I believe that Isaac will return someday. Always, I shall continue to hope for this, and wait for him until the day I die.

* * *

A/N: **Please read this author's note!** I actually have important stuff to say for once.

No, I didn't set this up so I could make a sequel. This story is done.

I have a request for reviewers; you don't have to do this, but it would seriously help me out a lot. The main point of this story for me, was so that I could test out a technique that we learned about in lit. Please tell me what you think happened to Alex and Isaac in your review. There is no right or wrong answer, so don't worry. If you are too lazy tell me, ok. Chances are you wouldn't review anyway, lol.

But for everyone who DOES review this chapter, lucky you. Since I won't be adding another chapter, I will respond to your reviews via email. Yup, that's right. Personal responses. Or if you don't want me to respond, either tell me or refuse to provide your email.

I will be editing this story now. There won't be any drastic changes, but I'll probably put complete w/ edits in the summary when I finish.

Now for a good advertisement for my next fan fic. If you liked this story, chances are you will like my next one. I have a description of it in my profile, so check it out, ok?

Oh yea, it should be noted that I will be working on Shadowed and my website before I start the next story, though. Tough. But I gotta catch up on stuff I have been neglecting for weeks that I really don't have to do but would like to.

The ending for this story was bittersweet. Most of my serious stories have bittersweet endings.

Chapter 10 Reviewer Acknowledgments:

Spirit Icana: Isaac succeeded in dying my fursona's fur blue. Unfortunately for him, Meneil is a blue lynx, so it didn't really matter, lol. Alex escaped from prison, so I'll just be sittin' here all alone for a while. But anyway, thanks for sticking with the story, I am glad you like it. As for updating, I actually did kind of crummy, I usually update once a week, and I have failed miserably. I like reviews, but I don't live off of them. Actually this story got a lot of reviews; at least for me. .-.

SpasticDjinn: Erm, you reviewed fast. Not everyone reads it the day the new chapter comes out. Well anyway, thanks! I'm glad you liked the story, and thanks for sticking with it for so long.

Corycian Muse: But Hammet being King isn't nearly as cool as Ivan being a warlord. When I first read your story, I pointed to the screen and screamed in joy, lol. Isaac never came… So sad… Anyway, thanks. I'm really glad you've been here from the beginning, it is exciting for me.

Raielono: Hm… I think Isaac must have dropped the food dye after you smacked him. Thanks, glad you liked the chapter.

Xanda: Ah, and things have been revealed. Sort of. Well, at least the story is finished now. Yes, school started for me. It is not fun. Our mid-quarter is coming up, actually. Wow, you read the story in the airport? That must have been hard.


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